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Pathogens
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Diagnosis, Prevention and Control of Brucellosis
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Diagnosis, Prevention and Control of Brucellosis

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Bacterial Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2024) | Viewed by 5676

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ramesh Vemulapalli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
Interests: brucellosis; Brucella; vaccines; zoonotic diseases; molecular diagnostics
Dr. Elaine Maria Seles Dorneles

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, Brazil
Interests: brucellosis; Brucella; vaccines; diagnosis; epidemiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Brucellosis is a multifaceted challenge in many developing countries around the globe. Its implications for animal health, public health, and livestock production warrant increased research efforts to develop better diagnostic tools, vaccines, and control measures. The nonspecific symptoms of brucellosis in humans can lead to misdiagnosis, suggesting the actual number of cases may be higher than reported. Brucellosis remains difficult to diagnose and control, due to several factors, such as the genomic/antigenic diversity of Brucella species and strains, the lack of standardized and sensitive diagnostic methods, the insufficient efficacy of current vaccines, the persistence of infection in animal reservoirs and the environment, inadequate surveillance and reporting systems, the low awareness and compliance of farmers and veterinarians, and socioeconomic and political barriers.  Recent reports highlight the growing concern of Brucella canis infections, not only in dogs but also in humans. The spread of B. canis infections in pet dogs necessitates the development of more accurate and accessible diagnostic tests. A One Health approach is needed to develop comprehensive effective control and prevention strategies.

For this Special Issue of Pathogens, we invite you to submit a review or research article related to the development, validation, or field testing of diagnostic assays or vaccines. Articles related to the detection of new Brucella spp. and their pathogenesis and control strategies tailored to the regional socioeconomic conditions and prevalence of brucellosis are also welcome. We look forward to your contribution.

Prof. Dr. Ramesh Vemulapalli
Dr. Elaine Maria Seles Dorneles
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • brucellosis
  • Brucella
  • vaccines
  • diagnosis
  • epidemiology

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 548 KiB  
Article
Serological Diagnosis of Brucella Infection in Cetaceans by Rapid Serum Agglutination Test and Competitive ELISA with Brucella abortus and Brucella ceti as Antigens
by Tiziana Di Febo, Gabriella Di Francesco, Carla Grattarola, Luigina Sonsini, Ludovica Di Renzo, Giuseppe Lucifora, Roberto Puleio, Cristina Esmeralda Di Francesco, Camilla Smoglica, Giovanni Di Guardo and Manuela Tittarelli
Pathogens 2025, 14(1), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14010026 - 2 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1387
Abstract
Rose Bengal antigen and smooth lipopolysaccharide (s-LPS) were produced from a field strain of Brucella ceti (“homologous” antigens) and from the reference strain B. abortus S99 (“heterologous” antigens); they are currently used for the diagnosis of brucellosis in cattle, water buffaloes, sheep, goats, [...] Read more.
Rose Bengal antigen and smooth lipopolysaccharide (s-LPS) were produced from a field strain of Brucella ceti (“homologous” antigens) and from the reference strain B. abortus S99 (“heterologous” antigens); they are currently used for the diagnosis of brucellosis in cattle, water buffaloes, sheep, goats, and pigs, as recommended in the Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). “Homologous” and “heterologous” antigens were used in a rapid serum agglutination test (Rose Bengal test, RBT) and a competitive ELISA assay (c-ELISA) to test a panel of sera, blood, and other body fluids (cerebrospinal fluid, pericardial fluid, tracheal fluid, and aqueous humor) collected from 71 individuals belonging to five cetacean species (Stenella coeruleoalba; Tursiops truncatus; Grampus griseus; Globicephala melas; and Ziphius cavirostris), which were found stranded on the Italian coastline. Six animals were positive for Brucella spp. for bacterial isolation and/or PCR, and 55 animals were negative; for the remaining 10 animals, no PCR/isolation data were available. A total of 90 samples were tested. Results obtained from the two tests were compared in order to identify the most suitable antigen for the serological diagnosis of Brucella infection in cetaceans. The RBT performed with the “homologous” antigen showed the best results in comparison with the “heterologous” antigen: diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 80.0%, 44.1%, and 46.9% for the “homologous” antigen and 80.0%, 17.0%, and 21.9% for the “heterologous” antigen. For the c-ELISA, “homologous” and “heterologous” s-LPS showed similar results (diagnostic sensitivity 66.7%, diagnostic specificity 97.3%, and diagnostic accuracy 95.0%). Therefore, the RBT using the “homologous” antigen and c-ELISA with “homologous” or “heterologous” s-LPS could be used in parallel for the detection of antibodies against Brucella spp. in cetaceans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis, Prevention and Control of Brucellosis)
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19 pages, 3605 KiB  
Article
Detection and Molecular Diversity of Brucella melitensis in Pastoral Livestock in North-Eastern Ethiopia
by Berhanu Sibhat, Haileeyesus Adamu, Kassahun Asmare, Johanna F. Lindahl, Ulf Magnusson and Tesfaye Sisay Tessema
Pathogens 2024, 13(12), 1063; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13121063 - 3 Dec 2024
Viewed by 3798
Abstract
Brucellosis is a neglected zoonotic disease affecting livestock and humans that remains endemic in Ethiopia. Despite its prevalence, only a few studies have identified Brucella species circulating in livestock in the country. This study aimed to determine the Brucella species responsible for infections [...] Read more.
Brucellosis is a neglected zoonotic disease affecting livestock and humans that remains endemic in Ethiopia. Despite its prevalence, only a few studies have identified Brucella species circulating in livestock in the country. This study aimed to determine the Brucella species responsible for infections in livestock in the Afar region of Ethiopia and characterize the isolates using whole-genome single nucleotide polymorphism (wgSNP) analysis and in silico multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). Comparisons were made between Ethiopian Brucella and regional and global isolates to determine their phylogenetic relationships. Surveys conducted in May and October–November 2022 in six villages of the Amibara district involved the collection of vaginal swabs (n = 231) and milk samples (n = 17) from 32 sheep and 199 goats kept by 143 pastoral households reporting recent abortions in the animals. Brucella melitensis was detected in three sheep and 32 goats, i.e., 15% (35/231) of animals across 20% (29/143) of households using bacterial culture and PCR-based methods (bcsp31, AMOS, and Bruce-ladder multiplex PCR). Of the 35 positive animals, B. melitensis was isolated from 24 swabs, while the remaining 11 were culture-negative and detected only by PCR. The genomic DNA of the 24 isolates was sequenced using Illumina Novaseq 6000 and assembled using the SPAdes pipeline. Nine- and 21-locus MLST identified 23 isolates as genotype ST12, while one isolate could not be typed. The wgSNP-based phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Ethiopian isolates clustered within the African clade and were closely related to isolates from Somalia. Several virulence factors responsible for adhesion, intracellular survival, and regulatory functions were detected in all isolates. No antimicrobial resistance genes associated with resistance to drugs commonly used for treating brucellosis were detected. Since B. melitensis is prevalent in sheep and goats, vaccination with the B. melitensis Rev-1 vaccine is the recommended strategy in these pastoral systems to protect animal and human health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis, Prevention and Control of Brucellosis)
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