Bacteria of the genus Brucella cause brucellosis, the most common bacterial zoonosis worldwide. The diagnosis of Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis ruminant brucellosis is based on bacteriological and immunological tests, the latter being routinely used in control and eradication and surveillance programs. Infections by smooth and rough Brucella spp., the use of smooth and rough vaccines, and the false-positive serological reactions caused by Yersinia enterocolitica O:9 and other cross-reacting bacteria represent the immunological contexts in which those tests are used. This complex context explains the large number of brucellosis tests that have been developed, and that vary in antigen type, antigen presentation, antibody and conditions for the reaction, the response detected and the sample required. This wealth of information and an imperfect understanding of Brucella antigens and of the peculiarities of the immunoresponse to Brucella has created confusion and led to several misconceptions on the usefulness and limitations of the brucellosis diagnostic tests. In this review, Brucella antigens are examined focusing on cellular topology, supramolecular properties, epitopic structure and lipopolysaccharide and protein cross-reactivity in the various contexts of the immune response in ruminants. Then, the significance of these features in diagnostic tests that use whole bacteria is discussed with respect to the activities of ruminant immunoglobulins, and the effect of pH on unspecific agglutinations, non-agglutinating and blocking antibodies, pseudo-prozones and complement activation. Similarly, the bacterial surface lipopolysaccharides and cognate polysaccharides are discussed with regards to topological effects, epitope exposure, ionic strength and antibody avidity in immunoprecipitation, immunosorbent and fluorescence polarization assays. Finally, the search for immunodominant protein antigens and their use in immunological tests is reviewed. Critical review of the existing information is necessary both to select optimal tests according to the logistical means available and the epidemiological context, and to focus the development of new tests.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vetimm.2016.02.002 | DOI Listing |
Curr Microbiol
January 2025
Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute (RVSRI), Karaj, Iran.
Brucellosis, a zoonotic disease caused by Brucella spp. globally, is of great significance not only to livestock but also to public health. The most significant of the twelve species is Brucella melitensis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVet Ital
September 2024
Professor Nidom Foundation, Surabaya, Indonesia.
Brucellosis is a neglected infectious disease caused by animals and is becoming a public health problem in developing countries. There are limited case reports of human brucellosis in Indonesia because the symptoms are not specific. This study investigated the association between serological tests for brucellosis among workers and their knowledge, attitude, and behavior.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVet Ital
September 2024
Department of Veterinary Management of Animal Resources, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liège, Belgium.
This cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence and the potential risk factors of Brucella infection among goats in family farms in the southern east of Algeria. A total of 196 sera samples were randomly collected from 59 family farms and tested in parallel by Rose Bengal test (RBT) and indirect ELISA (iELISA). A structured questionnaire was used to collect information on potential risk factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroorganisms
December 2024
Animal Production and Health Laboratory, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, Wagramer Strasse 5, P.O. Box 100, 1400 Vienna, Austria.
Abortion is one of the major causes of economic losses in livestock production worldwide. Because several factors can lead to abortion in cattle, sheep and goats, laboratory diagnosis, including the molecular detection of pathogens causing abortion, is often necessary. Bacterial zoonotic diseases such as brucellosis, coxiellosis, leptospirosis, and listeriosis have been implicated in livestock abortion, but they are under diagnosed and under-reported in most developing countries, including Botswana.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPathogens
December 2024
Institute of Biotechnology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1176, Ethiopia.
Brucellosis is a neglected zoonotic disease affecting livestock and humans that remains endemic in Ethiopia. Despite its prevalence, only a few studies have identified species circulating in livestock in the country. This study aimed to determine the 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).
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