Bacteria Genomes - BRUCELLA ABORTUS
Brucella abortus causes Brucellosis (spontaneous abortion in cattle and
undulant fever in humans)
Brucella spp. are Gram-negative facultative intracellular pathogenic coccobacilli capable of infecting a wide variety of mammalian hosts. Brucella spp. are not found free living, nor are they commensal organisms. The preferred ecological niche for the brucellae is within the phagosomal compartment of host macrophages, and the capacity of this organism to establish and maintain chronic infections is dependent upon its ability to survive and replicate within these phagocytic cells.
Brucella abortus is the etiological agent of bovine brucellosis, an infection that leads to spontaneous abortion, premature calving and infertility in cattle.
The foetus, placenta and uterine fluid contain large quantities of Brucella abortus bacteria which can infect other cattle coming into contact with an infected animal around the time of calving. The organism continues to be excreted in the milk. Breeding bulls which are infected, can transmit the disease to cows at the time of service by infected semen.
Brucellosis is a notifiable disease which was eradicated from cattle in Great Britain in 1979, but has been reintroduced on several occasions by imported cattle. In 2003, brucellosis was confirmed in four cattle herds in Scotland and most recently in March 2004 it was confirmed in a beef suckler herd in Cornwall.
Brucellosis once had worldwide occurrence but now has limited distributions due to government eradication programs.
Brucellosis is passed on to humans by drinking infected unpasteurised milk or from contact with
discharges from cattle or goats that abort their foetus.
It is unlikely that this disease would be spread from person to person.
Symptoms include intermittent or irregular fever of variable duration, headache, weakness, profuse sweating, chills, weight loss and generalized aching. Antibiotic treatment will cure the condition.
Brucella abortus infection has also been located in indigenous Korean dogs.
Hierarchy Description:
- Chromosome I
- Biovar 1
- Strain:
9-941
Genome accession number: AE017223
EMBL reference
- Medline reference
| Journal citation |
| Pubmed ID |
| J. Bacteriol. 187(8):2715-2726(2005) |
15805518 |
- Taxonomy:
262698
- Chromosome II
- Biovar 1
- Strain: 9-941
Genome accession number: AE017224
EMBL reference
- Medline reference
| Journal citation |
| Pubmed ID |
| J. Bacteriol. 187(8):2715-2726(2005) |
15805518 |
- Taxonomy:
262698
References:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/brucellosis.htm
http://iai.asm.org/cgi/content/full/73/5/2873
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=280718
http://brucella.unsam.edu.ar/
http://www.diagnostics.be/products/veterinary/elisa/bovine/VB047.htm
http://www.unbc.ca/nlui/wildlife_diseases_bc/brucellosis.htm
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