| Species/Subspecies: | Brucella abortus | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Categories: | Zoonotic; notifiable diseases and bacteria | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Etymology: | Genus name: named after Sir David Bruce, who first identified the organism, which causes brucellosis. Species epithet: which causes abortion. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Significance: | [Very important] | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Alternative Species Name(s): | Brucella melitensis biovar Abortus | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Taxonomy: | Class Alphaproteobacteria Order Hyphomicrobiales Family Brucellaceae Genus Brucella |
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| Type Strain: | 544 = ATCC 23448 = NCTC 10093. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Macromorphology (smell): | Pale honey coloured transparant colonies, which do not give hemolysis on blood agar. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Micromorphology: | Non-motile small coccoid rod (0.6 x 0.6-1.5 µm). | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Gram +/Gram -: | G- | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Metabolism: | Aerobic | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Catalase/Oxidase: | +/+ | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Enzymes: | Urease + | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Fermentation of carbohydrates: | Most Brucella spp. do not produce acid by fermentation of carbohydrates. | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Disease: |
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| Genome Sequence: |
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| 16S rRNA Seq.: |
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| Taxonomy/phylogeny:
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Twenty-five species have been described within genus Brucella and this genus is closely related to genus Bartonella. From a phylogenetic point of view, B. abortus, B. canis, B. ceti, B. melitensis, B. neotomae, B. ovis, B. pinnipedialis and B. suis represent the same species (B. melitensis), but due to different host specificities, they have been affiliated with different species. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Legislation: | Brucella abortus belongs to category B as a potential bioterrorism agent according to NIAID. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Comment: | May penetrate intact skin. Brucellosis is notifiable in Sweden and is governed by the epizootic diseases act. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Link: | Epiwebb - om epizootisjukdomar [in Swedish] | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Updated: | 2023-03-22 |