Molecular epidemiology, immunobiology, genomics and proteomics insights into bovine brucellosis

Brucella species are intracellular Gram-negative bacteria that cause brucellosis, a global zoonosis that impacts cattle productivity and public health. Both cattle and buffaloes are susceptible to bovine brucellosis, which can lead to severe degenerative changes in uterine mucosa of non-pregnant animals, including ulcerative endometritis and fibrosis. Vasculitis, localized coagulative necrosis, and ulceration of the uterine mucosa have all been reported in pregnant animals. Male testicles get inflamed due to Brucella, which results in infertility. This review article covers the molecular epidemiology, pathophysiology, immunobiology, genomics, and proteomics of Brucella, with an emphasis on novel discoveries and more recent research, especially on bovine brucellosis. The integration of molecular pathology and sero-prevalence data provide the insights into epidemiology, transmission dynamics, and genetic diversity of bovine brucellosis. The immunobiological response studies of brucellosis have provided insights into the tactics employed by Brucella to infect host cells and elude immune responses. Proteomics was utilized to find biomarkers for both acute and chronic brucellosis, which resulted in the identification of proteins with differential expression linked to immune response, inflammation, and extracellular matrix modulation. The genetic diversity, virulence factors, and evolution of Brucella strains were mostly investigated using genomics. The genomic makeup and architecture of Brucella isolates were examined using whole-genome sequencing, which revealed genetic markers linked to pathogenicity and drug resistance. This review provides possible treatment targets, diagnostic biomarkers, and vaccine candidates, contributing to molecular understanding of bovine brucellosis.