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Ksibi B, Smaoui F, Ben Ayed N, Guetat M, Mezghani S, Ktari S, Mahjoubi F, Ben Jemaa M, Karray H, Hammami A. Genomic analysis of Brucella melitensis isolates recovered from humans in south Tunisia over 35 years between 1988 and 2022. BMC Microbiol 2025; 25:98. [PMID: 40011821 PMCID: PMC11866833 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-025-03802-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2025] [Indexed: 02/28/2025] Open
Abstract
Brucella melitensis is a zoonotic pathogen that poses a worldwide public health challenge. In recent years, whole-genome sequencing has become a widely accepted molecular typing method for the genomic epidemiology of brucellosis. This study reports the genomic characteristics of 24 B. melitensis strains isolated from human infections in southern Tunisia over 35 years (1988-2022). We utilized WGS to analyze the clonal relationships of these strains, their relatedness to international sequences, their antimicrobial resistance determinants, and their virulence factors. Our findings revealed a high genetic stability over three decades. All isolates were identified as B. melitensis biovar 3 and were assigned to the same sequence type, ST11, using the MLST-9 scheme. Using the MLST-21, Tunisian sequences shared 20 out of 21 alleles and were assigned to 2 closely related STs (ST89 and ST114). Phylogenetic analysis indicated that all Tunisian sequences were grouped into a single subcluster within lineage I, the West Mediterranean clade, and were highly related to other strains from the Maghreb region (Morocco and Algeria). Antimicrobial resistance analysis revealed no classical resistance determinants. However, mprF, bepCDEFG genes, and missense mutations in rpoB, gyrA, gyrB, and parC genes were identified. Virulence analysis identified 67 genes, predominantly involved in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and the type IV secretion system. To our knowledge, this study represents the first genomic investigation of B. melitensis strains circulating in Tunisia. Our findings underscore the importance of genomic surveillance in understanding the epidemiology and evolution of brucellosis in North Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boutheina Ksibi
- Research Laboratory Microorganisms and Human Disease "MPH LR03SP03", Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia.
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia.
| | - Fahmi Smaoui
- Research Laboratory Microorganisms and Human Disease "MPH LR03SP03", Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Nourelhouda Ben Ayed
- Research Laboratory Microorganisms and Human Disease "MPH LR03SP03", Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Manel Guetat
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Senda Mezghani
- Research Laboratory Microorganisms and Human Disease "MPH LR03SP03", Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Sonia Ktari
- Research Laboratory Microorganisms and Human Disease "MPH LR03SP03", Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Faouzia Mahjoubi
- Research Laboratory Microorganisms and Human Disease "MPH LR03SP03", Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Mounir Ben Jemaa
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hedi Chaker University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Héla Karray
- Research Laboratory Microorganisms and Human Disease "MPH LR03SP03", Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Adnene Hammami
- Research Laboratory Microorganisms and Human Disease "MPH LR03SP03", Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Habib Bourguiba University Hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
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Khairullah AR, Kurniawan SC, Puspitasari Y, Aryaloka S, Silaen OSM, Yanestria SM, Widodo A, Moses IB, Effendi MH, Afnani DA, Ramandinianto SC, Hasib A, Riwu KHP. Brucellosis: Unveiling the complexities of a pervasive zoonotic disease and its global impacts. Open Vet J 2024; 14:1081-1097. [PMID: 38938422 PMCID: PMC11199761 DOI: 10.5455/ovj.2024.v14.i5.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
One zoonotic infectious animal disease is brucellosis. The bacteria that cause brucellosis belong to the genus Brucella. Numerous animal and human species are affected by brucellosis, with an estimated 500,000 human cases recorded annually worldwide. The occurrence of new areas of infection and the resurgence of infection in already infected areas indicate how dynamically brucellosis is distributed throughout different geographic regions. Bacteria originate from the blood and are found in the reticuloendothelial system, the liver, the spleen, and numerous other locations, including the joints, kidneys, heart, and genital tract. Diagnosis of this disease can be done by bacterial isolation, molecular tests, modified acid-fast stain, rose bengal test (RBT), milk ring test, complement fixation test, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and serum agglutination test. The primary sign of a Brucella abortus infection is infertility, which can result in abortion and the birth of a frail fetus that may go on to infect other animals. In humans, the main symptoms are acute febrile illness, with or without localization signs, and chronic infection. Female cattle have a greater risk of contracting Brucella disease. Human populations at high risk of contracting brucellosis include those who care for cattle, veterinarians, slaughterhouse employees, and butchers. Antibiotic treatment of brucellosis is often unsuccessful due to the intracellular survival of Brucella and its adaptability in macrophages. A "one health" strategy is necessary to control illnesses like brucellosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aswin Rafif Khairullah
- Research Center for Veterinary Science, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Shendy Canadya Kurniawan
- Master Program of Animal Sciences, Department of Animal Sciences, Specialisation in Molecule, Cell and Organ Functioning, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Yulianna Puspitasari
- Division of Veterinary Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Suhita Aryaloka
- Master Program of Veterinary Agribusiness, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Otto Sahat Martua Silaen
- Doctoral Program in Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | | | - Agus Widodo
- Department of Health, Faculty of Vocational Studies, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Ikechukwu Benjamin Moses
- Department of Applied Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria
| | - Mustofa Helmi Effendi
- Division of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Daniah Ashri Afnani
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Pendidikan Mandalika, Mataram, Indonesia
| | | | - Abdullah Hasib
- School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland
| | - Katty Hendriana Priscilia Riwu
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Pendidikan Mandalika, Mataram, Indonesia
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Predicting the Spatial-Temporal Distribution of Human Brucellosis in Europe Based on Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory Network. THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES & MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY = JOURNAL CANADIEN DES MALADIES INFECTIEUSES ET DE LA MICROBIOLOGIE MEDICALE 2022; 2022:7658880. [PMID: 35967090 PMCID: PMC9365592 DOI: 10.1155/2022/7658880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Brucellosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by brucellae or other bacteria directly invading human body. Brucellosis presents the aggregation characteristics and periodic law of infectious diseases in temporal and spatial distribution. Taking major European countries as an example, this study established the temporal and spatial distribution sequence of brucellosis, analyzed the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of brucellosis, and quantitatively predicted its epidemic law by using different traditional or machine learning models. This paper indicates that the epidemic of brucellosis in major European countries has statistical periodic characteristics, and in the same cycle, brucellosis has the characteristics of piecewise trend. Through the comparison of the prediction results of the three models, it is found that the prediction effect of long short-term memory and convolutional long short-term memory models is better than autoregressive integrated moving average model. The first mock exam using Conv layer and data vectorizations predicted that the convolutional long short-term memory model outperformed the traditional long short-term memory model. Compared with the monthly scale, the prediction of the trend stage of brucellosis can achieve better results under the single model prediction. These findings will help understand the development trend and liquidity characteristics of brucellosis, provide corresponding scientific basis and decision support for potential risk assessment and brucellosis epidemic prevention and control, and reduce the loss of life and property.
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Core Genome Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme for Improved Characterization and Epidemiological Surveillance of Pathogenic Brucella. J Clin Microbiol 2022; 60:e0031122. [PMID: 35852343 PMCID: PMC9387271 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00311-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Brucellosis poses a significant burden to human and animal health worldwide. Robust and harmonized molecular epidemiological approaches and population studies that include routine disease screening are needed to efficiently track the origin and spread of Brucella strains. Core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) is a powerful genotyping system commonly used to delineate pathogen transmission routes for disease surveillance and control. Except for Brucella melitensis, cgMLST schemes for Brucella species are currently not established. Here, we describe a novel cgMLST scheme that covers multiple Brucella species. We first determined the phylogenetic breadth of the genus using 612 Brucella genomes. We selected 1,764 genes that were particularly well conserved and typeable in at least 98% of these genomes. We tested the new scheme on 600 genomes and found high agreement with the whole-genome-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. Next, we applied the scheme to reanalyze the genome of Brucella strains from epidemiologically linked outbreaks. We demonstrated the applicability of the new scheme for high-resolution typing required in outbreak investigations as previously reported with whole-genome SNP methods. We also used the novel scheme to define the global population structure of the genus using 1,322 Brucella genomes. Finally, we demonstrated the possibility of tracing distribution of Brucella strains by performing cluster analysis of cgMLST profiles and found nearly identical cgMLST profiles in different countries. Our results show that sequencing depth of more than 40-fold is optimal for allele calling with this scheme. In summary, this study describes a novel Brucella-wide cgMLST scheme that is applicable in Brucella molecular epidemiology and helps in accurately tracking and thus controlling the sources of infection. The scheme is publicly accessible and should represent a valuable resource for laboratories with limited computational resources and bioinformatics expertise.
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Zilberman B, Motro Y, Sagi O, Kornspan D, Ben-Shimol S, Gdalevich M, Yagel Y, Davidovitch N, Khalfin B, Rabinowitz P, Nesher L, Grotto I, Bardenstein S, Moran-Gilad J. Genomic Epidemiology of Clinical Brucella melitensis Isolates from Southern Israel. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10020238. [PMID: 35208693 PMCID: PMC8878301 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Brucellosis, a zoonosis mainly transmitted by consumption of unpasteurized dairy products, is endemic in Southern Israel, mainly among the Bedouin Arab population. However, the genomic epidemiology of B. melitensis in this region has not yet been elucidated. A cohort of brucellosis cases (n = 118) diagnosed between 2017–2019 was studied using whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Phylogenetic analyses utilized core genome MLST (cgMLST) for all local isolates and core genome SNPs for 347 human-associated B. melitensis genomes, including Israeli and publicly available sequences. Israeli isolates formed two main clusters, presenting a notable diversity, with no clear dominance of a specific strain. On a global scale, the Israeli genomes clustered according to their geographical location, in proximity to genomes originating from the Middle East, and formed the largest cluster in the tree, suggesting relatively high conservation. Our study unveils the genomic epidemiology of B. melitensis in Southern Israel, implicating that rather than a common source, the transmission pattern of brucellosis among Bedouin communities is complex, predominantly local, and household-based. Further, genomic surveillance of B. melitensis is expected to inform future public health and veterinary interventions and clinical care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bar Zilberman
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; (B.Z.); (Y.M.); (O.S.); (S.B.-S.); (M.G.); (Y.Y.); (N.D.); (B.K.); (L.N.); (I.G.)
| | - Yair Motro
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; (B.Z.); (Y.M.); (O.S.); (S.B.-S.); (M.G.); (Y.Y.); (N.D.); (B.K.); (L.N.); (I.G.)
| | - Orli Sagi
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; (B.Z.); (Y.M.); (O.S.); (S.B.-S.); (M.G.); (Y.Y.); (N.D.); (B.K.); (L.N.); (I.G.)
- Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel
| | - David Kornspan
- Brucellosis Lab, OIE, FAO Reference Laboratory, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel; (D.K.); (S.B.)
| | - Shalom Ben-Shimol
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; (B.Z.); (Y.M.); (O.S.); (S.B.-S.); (M.G.); (Y.Y.); (N.D.); (B.K.); (L.N.); (I.G.)
- Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel
| | - Michael Gdalevich
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; (B.Z.); (Y.M.); (O.S.); (S.B.-S.); (M.G.); (Y.Y.); (N.D.); (B.K.); (L.N.); (I.G.)
- Southern District Health Office, Ministry of Health, Beer Sheva 84104, Israel
| | - Yael Yagel
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; (B.Z.); (Y.M.); (O.S.); (S.B.-S.); (M.G.); (Y.Y.); (N.D.); (B.K.); (L.N.); (I.G.)
- Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel
| | - Nadav Davidovitch
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; (B.Z.); (Y.M.); (O.S.); (S.B.-S.); (M.G.); (Y.Y.); (N.D.); (B.K.); (L.N.); (I.G.)
| | - Boris Khalfin
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; (B.Z.); (Y.M.); (O.S.); (S.B.-S.); (M.G.); (Y.Y.); (N.D.); (B.K.); (L.N.); (I.G.)
| | - Peter Rabinowitz
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA;
| | - Lior Nesher
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; (B.Z.); (Y.M.); (O.S.); (S.B.-S.); (M.G.); (Y.Y.); (N.D.); (B.K.); (L.N.); (I.G.)
- Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel
| | - Itamar Grotto
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; (B.Z.); (Y.M.); (O.S.); (S.B.-S.); (M.G.); (Y.Y.); (N.D.); (B.K.); (L.N.); (I.G.)
| | - Svetlana Bardenstein
- Brucellosis Lab, OIE, FAO Reference Laboratory, Kimron Veterinary Institute, Bet Dagan 50250, Israel; (D.K.); (S.B.)
| | - Jacob Moran-Gilad
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel; (B.Z.); (Y.M.); (O.S.); (S.B.-S.); (M.G.); (Y.Y.); (N.D.); (B.K.); (L.N.); (I.G.)
- Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva 84101, Israel
- Correspondence:
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Karthik K, Anbazhagan S, Thomas P, Ananda Chitra M, Senthilkumar TMA, Sridhar R, Dhinakar Raj G. Genome Sequencing and Comparative Genomics of Indian Isolates of Brucella melitensis. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:698069. [PMID: 34489888 PMCID: PMC8417702 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.698069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Brucella melitensis causes small ruminant brucellosis and a zoonotic pathogen prevalent worldwide. Whole genome phylogeny of all available B. melitensis genomes (n = 355) revealed that all Indian isolates (n = 16) clustered in the East Mediterranean lineage except the ADMAS-GI strain. Pangenome analysis indicated the presence of limited accessory genomes with few clades showing specific gene presence/absence pattern. A total of 43 virulence genes were predicted in all the Indian strains of B. melitensis except 2007BM-1 (ricA and wbkA are absent). Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis indicated all except one Indian strain (ADMAS-GI) falling into sequence type (ST 8). In comparison with MLST, core genome phylogeny indicated two major clusters (>70% bootstrap support values) among Indian strains. Clusters with <70% bootstrap support values represent strains with diverse evolutionary origins present among animal and human hosts. Genetic relatedness among animal (sheep and goats) and human strains with 100% bootstrap values shows its zoonotic transfer potentiality. SNP-based analysis indicated similar clustering to that of core genome phylogeny. Among the Indian strains, the highest number of unique SNPs (112 SNPs) were shared by a node that involved three strains from Tamil Nadu. The node SNPs involved several peptidase genes like U32, M16 inactive domain protein, clp protease family protein, and M23 family protein and mostly represented non-synonymous (NS) substitutions. Vaccination has been followed in several parts of the world to prevent small ruminant brucellosis but not in India. Comparison of Indian strains with vaccine strains showed that M5 is genetically closer to most of the Indian strains than Rev.1 strain. The presence of most of the virulence genes among all Indian strains and conserved core genome compositions suggest the use of any circulating strain/genotypes for the development of a vaccine candidate for small ruminant brucellosis in India.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumaragurubaran Karthik
- Central University Laboratory, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, India
| | - Subbaiyan Anbazhagan
- Division of Bacteriology and Mycology, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, India
| | - Prasad Thomas
- Division of Bacteriology and Mycology, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, India
| | - Murugesan Ananda Chitra
- Central University Laboratory, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, India
| | | | - Ramaswamy Sridhar
- Central University Laboratory, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, India
| | - Gopal Dhinakar Raj
- Centre for Animal Health Studies, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai, India
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Changes in the epidemiological characteristics of human brucellosis in Shaanxi Province from 2008 to 2020. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17367. [PMID: 34462483 PMCID: PMC8405659 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96774-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present study, surveys of case numbers, constituent ratios, conventional biotyping, and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were applied to characterize the incidence rate and epidemiological characteristics of human brucellosis in Shaanxi Province, China. A total of 12,215 human brucellosis cases were reported during 2008-2020, for an annual average incidence rate of 2.48/100,000. The most significant change was that the county numbers of reported cases increased from 36 in 2008 to 84 in 2020, with a geographic expansion trend from northern Shaanxi to Guanzhong, and southern Shaanxi regions; the incidence rate declined in previous epidemic northern Shaanxi regions while increasing each year in Guanzhong and southern Shaanxi regions such as Hancheng and Xianyang. The increased incidence was closely related to the development of large-scale small ruminants (goats and sheep) farms in Guanzhong and some southern Shaanxi regions. Another significant feature was that student cases (n = 261) were ranked second among all occupations, accounting for 2.14% of the total number of cases, with the majority due to drinking unsterilized goat milk. Three Brucella species were detected (B. melitensis (bv. 1, 2, 3 and variant), B. abortus bv. 3/6, and B. suis bv. 1) and were mainly distributed in the northern Shaanxi and Guanzhong regions. Three known STs (ST8, ST2, and ST14) were identified based on MLST analysis. The characteristics that had not changed were that B. melitensis strains belonging to the ST8 population were the dominant species and were observed in all nine regions during the examined periods. Strengthened human and animal brucellosis surveillance and restriction of the transfer of infected sheep (goats) as well as students avoiding drinking raw milk are suggested as optimal control strategies.
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Whatmore AM, Foster JT. Emerging diversity and ongoing expansion of the genus Brucella. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2021; 92:104865. [PMID: 33872784 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.104865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Remarkable genetic diversity and breadth of host species has been uncovered in the Brucella genus over the past decade, fundamentally changing our concept of what it means to be a Brucella. From ocean fishes and marine mammals, to pond dwelling amphibians, forest foxes, desert rodents, and cave-dwelling bats, Brucella have revealed a variety of previously unknown niches. Classical microbiological techniques have been able to help us classify many of these new strains but at times have limited our ability to see the true relationships among or within species. The closest relatives of Brucella are soil bacteria and the adaptations of Brucella spp. to live intracellularly suggest that the genus has evolved to live in vertebrate hosts. Several recently discovered species appear to have phenotypes that are intermediate between soil bacteria and core Brucella, suggesting that they may represent ancestral traits that were subsequently lost in the traditional species. Remarkably, the broad relationships among Brucella species using a variety of sequence and fragment-based approaches have been upheld when using comparative genomics with whole genomes. Nonetheless, genomes are required for fine-scale resolution of many of the relationships and for understanding the evolutionary history of the genus. We expect that the coming decades will reveal many more hosts and previously unknown diversity in a wide range of environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian M Whatmore
- OIE and FAO Brucellosis Reference Laboratory, Department of Bacteriology, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Woodham Lane, Addlestone, Surrey, United Kingdom.
| | - Jeffrey T Foster
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
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Liu Z, Liu D, Wang M, Li Z. Human brucellosis epidemiology in the pastoral area of Hulun Buir city, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, China, between 2003 and 2018. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:1155-1165. [PMID: 33728754 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Human brucellosis represents a serious public health concern in Hulun Buir and requires a comprehensive epidemiologic analysis to define adapted control measures. The present study describes the case numbers, constituent ratios and incidence rate of human brucellosis. Conventional biotyping, that is abortus, melitensis, ovis and suis (AMOS)-PCR and multi-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) were used to characterize the Brucella strains. Between 2003 and 2018, a total of 23,897 human brucellosis cases were reported, with an incidence rate of 56.03/100,000, which is 20 times higher than the country's average incidence. This incidence rate increased year after year, culminating in 2005 and decreased between 2011 and 2018. Because Hulun Buir relies on a nomadic livestock rearing system, brucellosis spreads easily among different animal species and humans. In Xin Barag Left Banner and Xin Barag Right Banner, the incidence rates were, respectively, 226.54/100,000 and 199.10/100,000, exceeding those observed in other areas. Most of the cases occurred in the 25- to 45-year-old group, accounting for 65.74% of the cases (15,709/23,897), and among farmers, accounting for 66.71% (15,942/23,897). The male to female incidence ratio was 2.67:1. The higher incidence in younger people and the large gender ratio reflected the unique traditional production and lifestyle of nomads. Most reported cases were observed from April to June, indicating that more than 40% of the cases were related to the delivery of domestic livestock. The biotyping showed that the 44 isolated strains were all B. melitensis, including 12 Brucella melitensis biovar (bv) 1 and 32 B. melitensis bv. 3. The strains displayed a genetic similarity of 80%-100%. Our hypothesis is that human brucellosis outbreak in this region may be originating from a limited source of infection, so further investigation is necessary. The epidemic situation of human brucellosis in Hulun Buir is extremely serious, strengthened surveillance and control in animals' brucellosis should be priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiguo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China.,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Central for Comprehensive Disease Control and Prevention, Huhhot, China
| | - Dongyan Liu
- Hulun Buir City Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hulun Buir, China
| | - Miao Wang
- Ulanqab Central for Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, Ulanqab, China
| | - Zhenjun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
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