Seroprevalence of <i>Brucella</i> antibodies in Foreign-breed Police-Kennel Dogs and Citizen-owned Dogs in Khartoum State-Sudan, Using the Rose Bengal Test

Dogs may acquire and transmit various Brucella spp., but their role in the epidemiology of brucellosis in Sudan is poorly characterized. This study evaluated serological evidence of Brucella exposure among two management groups of foreign-breed dogs in Khartoum State. 77 mature dogs were sampled: 45 Police-Kenneled Dogs (PKD) and 32 Citizen-Owned Dogs (COD). Whole blood was collected by venipuncture, sera separated, and screened for anti-Brucella antibodies using the Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and a modified RBPT protocol. Data were summarized with frequencies and percentages; associations between management type or sex and serostatus were tested with chi-square (α = 0.05). 61 out of the 77 dogs (79.2%)were tested positive by RBPT. Seropositivity was markedly higher in PKD (44/45; 97.8%) than in COD (17/32; 53.1%). The association between dog management and RBPT serostatus was highly significant (χ² = 22.652, df = 1, p < 0.001). No significant difference in seropositivity was observed between males and females (78.1% versus 80.0%, χ² = 0.040, p = 0.842). The findings reveal substantial serological evidence of <i>Brucella</i> exposure in the sampled population, particularly among police-housed dogs. Because RBPT detects antibodies to smooth LPS antigens and cross-reactivity or non- <i>Brucella</i><i> canis </i>infections are possible.