Testing for Brucella with
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Brucella are gram-negative, non-motile, non-encapsulated, non-sporulating cocobacilli. They are obligate aerobes with complex and fastidious nutritional requirements in laboratory cultures. Animals are the primary hosts of these bacteria, which have been isolated from cattle, cows, sheep, goats, pigs and dogs. The Brucella species that have been identified include B. abortus, B. melitensis, B. suis, B. ovis, B. canis, and B. neotomae, all of which have been isolated from animals. Brucella cause complications related to infertility, spontaneous abortions and reproductive disorders in cattle and small ruminants.
Merck provides dehydrated culture media for cultivating Brucella that meet the stringent performance standards as set out in ISO 11133. The unique granule format causes far less dust than powdered media and ensures excellent solubility and homogeneity. The granules dissolve rapidly in water, and there is hardly any component separation or clumping, even when it is warm or humid. The outstanding properties of Merck’s dehydrated culture media make them very easy to use and highly efficient.
In humans, the species B. abortus, B. melitensis, B. suis, and B. canis may cause the infectious disease brucellosis, also called undulant fever, or Malta fever. Brucellosis is associated with a range of flu-like symptoms including fever, profuse sweating, headaches, back pains, and physical weakness. Severe infections of the central nervous system or lining of the heart may occur. Brucellosis can also cause long-lasting or chronic symptoms such as recurrent fevers, joint pain, and fatigue. Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis (infectious disease transmitted from animals to humans) caused by eating raw minced meat, contaminated or untreated milk (and its derivatives) or through direct contact with infected animals like cattle, sheep, dogs or pigs. The common microbiological and serological methods for the detection and identification of Brucella spp. are very time-consuming and pose a high risk of infection for laboratory staff.
Method | OIE Terrestrial Manual 2008*, Chapter 2.4.3 |
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Isolation | Brucella agar (catalogue no. 110490) Farrell’s medium modified Thayer–Martin medium 37°C, 10% CO2, 5-28 days |