Infectious Agents

Brucellosis is an infectious bacterial disease of humans and ungulates caused by Brucella species. The genus Brucella consists of six classical species which are generally associated with their host of preference: Brucella abortus (cattle); B. melitensis (goats and sheep); B. suis (pigs); B. canis (dogs); B. ovis (sheep); and B. neotomae. To diagnose brucellosis in cattle one could use three methodologies: (i) serology, the detection of antibodies to the bacteria; (ii) bacteriology, the isolation of the organism from animal tissues; and (iii) molecular biology, using molecular techniques to isolate and identify bacterial DNA. The three primary vaccines used to prevent brucellosis in cattle as well as in goats and sheep include B. abortus strain 19, B. abortus strain RB51, and B. melitensis strain Rev. 1. The genomes of B. abortus, B. melitensis, and B. suis are available to researchers searching for new virulence factors and potential vaccine candidates.