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Review
. 2021 Jan 1;41(1):61-88.
doi: 10.1080/01652176.2020.1868616.

Bovine brucellosis - a comprehensive review

Sandip Kumar Khurana  1 , Anju Sehrawat  1 , Ruchi Tiwari  2 , Minakshi Prasad  3 , Baldev Gulati  4 , Muhammad Zubair Shabbir  5 , Rajesh Chhabra  6 , Kumaragurubaran Karthik  7 , Shailesh Kumar Patel  8 , Mamta Pathak  8 , Mohd Iqbal Yatoo  9 , Vivek Kumar Gupta  10 , Kuldeep Dhama  8 , Ranjit Sah  11 , Wanpen Chaicumpa  12
Affiliations
Review

Bovine brucellosis - a comprehensive review

Sandip Kumar Khurana et al. Vet Q. .

Abstract

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease of great animal welfare and economic implications worldwide known since ancient times. The emergence of brucellosis in new areas as well as transmission of brucellosis from wild and domestic animals is of great significance in terms of new epidemiological dimensions. Brucellosis poses a major public health threat by the consumption of non-pasteurized milk and milk products produced by unhygienic dairy farms in endemic areas. Regular and meticulous surveillance is essentially required to determine the true picture of brucellosis especially in areas with continuous high prevalence. Additionally, international migration of humans, animals and trade of animal products has created a challenge for disease spread and diagnosis in non-endemic areas. Isolation and identification remain the gold standard test, which requires expertise. The advancement in diagnostic strategies coupled with screening of newly introduced animals is warranted to control the disease. Of note, the diagnostic value of miRNAs for appropriate detection of B. abortus infection has been shown. The most widely used vaccine strains to protect against Brucella infection and related abortions in cattle are strain 19 and RB51. Moreover, it is very important to note that no vaccine, which is highly protective, safe and effective is available either for bovines or human beings. Research results encourage the use of bacteriophage lysates in treatment of bovine brucellosis. One Health approach can aid in control of this disease, both in animals and man.

Keywords: Brucellosis; bovine; control; diagnosis; epidemiology; pathobiology; prevention; treatment; vaccine.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors declare that there exist no commercial or financial relationships that could, in any way, lead to a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Transmission of Brucellosis. Pregnant cows usually abort in the last trimester of pregnancy. Aborted fetus, placenta, and secretion from uterus act as the source of infection to other animals. Milk and milk products can act as source of infection to man, if consumed unpasteurized. Infected bulls serve as the lifelong source of infection.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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