Abstract
Members of the genus Brucella are pathogenic bacteria exceedingly well adapted to their hosts. The bacterium is transmitted by direct contact within the same host species or accidentally to secondary hosts, such as humans. Human brucellosis is strongly linked to the management of domesticated animals and ingestion of their products. Since the domestication of ungulates and dogs in the Fertile Crescent and Asia in 12000 and 33000 ya, respectively, a steady supply of well adapted emergent Brucella pathogens causing zoonotic disease has been provided. Likewise, anthropogenic modification of wild life may have also impacted host susceptibility and Brucella selection. Domestication and human influence on wild life animals are not neutral phenomena. Consequently, Brucella organisms have followed their hosts’ fate and have been selected under conditions that favor high transmission rate. The “arm race” between Brucella and their preferred hosts has been driven by genetic adaptation of the bacterium confronted with the evolving immune defenses of the host. Management conditions, such as clustering, selection, culling, and vaccination of Brucella preferred hosts have profound influences in the outcome of brucellosis and in the selection of Brucella organisms. Countries that have controlled brucellosis systematically used reliable smooth live vaccines, consistent immunization protocols, adequate diagnostic tests, broad vaccination coverage and sustained removal of the infected animals. To ignore and misuse tools and strategies already available for the control of brucellosis may promote the emergence of new Brucella variants. The unrestricted use of low-efficacy vaccines may promote a “false sense of security” and works towards selection of Brucella with higher virulence and transmission potential.
Highlights
Brucellosis is a vicious disease caused by facultative intracellular extracellular pathogens of the genus Brucella (Moreno and Moriyón, 2002)
THE DISCOVERY OF Brucella AND BRUCELLOSIS The seminal discovery of the causative agent of brucellosis,“Micrococcus melitensis”, by the British Surgeon Captain David Bruce, his wife Mary Elizabeth Steele and the Maltese microbiologist doctor Giuseppe Caruana-Scicluna has been eagerly described in many assays (Spink, 1956; RuizCastañeda, 1986; Wyatt, 2000, 2009a)
CONCLUDING REMARKS The capabilities of Brucella to infect and propagate in the preferred hosts follow at least five stages: (i) ability to invade; (ii) power to circumvent the initial defenses; (iii) competence to replicate; (iv) capacity to be transmitted; and (v) endurance to be maintained within the host population (Moreno and Moriyón, 2006; Martirosyan et al, 2011)
Summary
Reviewed by: Saara Vainio, VU University Medical Center, Netherlands Efthymia Giannitsioti, ATTIKON University General Hospital, Greece. Human brucellosis is strongly linked to the management of domesticated animals and ingestion of their products. Anthropogenic modification of wild life may have impacted host susceptibility and Brucella selection. Domestication and human influence on wild life animals are not neutral phenomena. The “arm race” between Brucella and their preferred hosts has been driven by genetic adaptation of the bacterium confronted with the evolving immune defenses of the host. Management conditions, such as clustering, selection, culling, and vaccination of Brucella preferred hosts have profound influences in the outcome of brucellosis and in the selection of Brucella organisms. The unrestricted use of low-efficacy vaccines may promote a “false sense of security” and works towards selection of Brucella with higher virulence and transmission potential
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