Brucellosis : Review on Routine and Molecular Technique for Diagnosis of Neglected Disease

Abstract

Brucellosis is a zoonotic infection transmitted from animals to humans through the consumption of contaminated food, direct contact with an infected animal, or inhalation of aerosols. The latter method is extremely effective given the relatively low concentration of organisms required to induce infection in humans and has put this centuries-old disease back in the spotlight. Brucella is a facultative intracellular pathogen that has the ability to survive and multiply in phagocytes and cause abortion in cattle and ripple fever in humans. Brucella spp., especially B. Abortus, B. melitensis, and B. suis pose a serious public health problem. B. melitensis is the most common cause of human brucellosis in India. Human brucellosis still poses several challenges for clinicians and scientists, including understanding the pathogenic mechanism, severity, and progression, and developing improved therapeutic regimens. Molecular studies have shed light on the pathogenesis of Brucella to develop new diagnostic tools that will be useful in developing countries where brucellosis is a common but often overlooked disease. This overview brings together all these questions, especially pathogenicity and new diagnostic tools.