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Published on: August 5, 2016
Brucella ceti and brucellosis in cetaceans
Caterina Guzmán-Verri1, Rocío González-Barrientos, Gabriela Hernández-Mora
1Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional Heredia, Costa Rica.
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
|August 25, 2012
Summary
Brucella ceti causes brucellosis in cetaceans worldwide. This bacterial species has distinct dolphin, porpoise, and human types, with the dolphin type appearing ancestral.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Microbiology
- Marine Mammal Health
- Zoonotic Diseases
Background:
- Brucellosis in cetaceans, caused by Brucella ceti, is increasingly reported globally.
- Brucella ceti isolates are categorized into three types: dolphin, porpoise, and human, based on host preference, bacteriology, and genetics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of Brucella ceti infections in cetaceans.
- To explore the evolutionary origins and transmission routes of Brucella ceti.
- To describe the clinical manifestations and virulence of Brucella ceti in marine mammals.
Main Methods:
- Comparative phylogenetic analysis of Brucella ceti isolates.
- Review of serological surveys and case reports on cetacean brucellosis.
- Assessment of virulence and infectivity in animal models.
Main Results:
- Brucella ceti is globally distributed in Mysticeti and Odontoceti whales and dolphins.
- Three distinct types of B. ceti exist: dolphin, porpoise, and human, with the porpoise type related to human isolates and B. pinnipedialis.
- The ancestral B. ceti likely originated in terrestrial artiodactyls approximately 58 million years ago.
- Transmission occurs via sexual contact, maternal feeding, aborted fetuses, placental tissues, vertical transmission, or environmental reservoirs.
- B. ceti can cause severe chronic disease in dolphins and porpoises, leading to abortions, infertility, neurological issues, cardiac problems, lesions, strandings, and death.
Conclusions:
- Brucella ceti represents a significant pathogen in marine mammals with diverse origins and transmission pathways.
- While some B. ceti types show low human infectivity, the disease can be severe in cetaceans.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the epidemiology and impact of Brucella ceti in marine ecosystems.
