Naturally acquired infection of humans with a marine mammal-associated Brucella sp. has only been reported once previously in a study describing infections of two patients from Peru. We report the isolation and characterization of a strain of Brucella from a New Zealand patient that appears most closely related to strains previously identified from marine mammals. The isolate was preliminarily identified as Brucella suis using conventional bacteriological tests in our laboratory. However, the results profile was not an exact match, and the isolate was forwarded to four international reference laboratories for further identification. The reference laboratories identified the isolate as either B. suis or B. melitensis by traditional bacteriological methods in three laboratories and by a molecular test in the fourth laboratory. Molecular characterization by PCR, PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism, and DNA sequencing of the bp26 gene; IS711; the omp genes omp25, omp31, omp2a, and omp2b; IRS-PCR fragments I, III, and IV; and five housekeeping gene fragments was conducted to resolve the discrepant identification of the isolate. The isolate was identified to be closely related to a Brucella sp. originating from a United States bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and common seals (Phoca vitulina).Brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease of humans, causing a variety of vague symptoms including undulant fever, fatigue, malaise, joint pain, myalgia, depression, and anorexia (22). Chronic sequelae and recrudescence decades after initial infection also occur. Brucella may be transmitted from animals to humans by direct contact with infected animals, ingestion of infected food products, and inhalation of aerosols. Four species of Brucella are the primary causes of infection in humans. Brucella melitensis is highly infectious and is transmitted from sheep and goats, B. abortus is transmitted from cattle, B. suis is transmitted from pigs and, infrequently, B. canis is transmitted from dogs. Other species of Brucella have been rarely or not reported to infect humans.There are only two reports in the literature of humans infected with marine mammal strains of Brucella. One report was of a laboratory worker who displayed symptoms consistent with brucellosis (4). The infection was confirmed by a positive serological response, isolation, and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) identification of a marine Brucella strain. Two patients originating from Peru and diagnosed with neurobrucellosis were also confirmed to be infected with marine mammal strains of Brucella by isolation, PCR, and DNA sequencing (41). The two Peruvian patients were not laboratory workers, and the infection was naturally acquired.Serological evidence and isolation of brucellae have been reported from a variety of marine mammals on numerous occasions from locations in the northern hemisphere. The serological prevalence ranges from 0 to 38% for cetaceans, pinnipeds, and mustelids (6,24,26,29,32,34,43). The largest studies of 1,855 ...

LETTERSgenotyping M. bovis strains isolated from farm animals to help elucidate the source of infection and transmission of M. bovis in Taiwan.

Detection of M paratuberculosis infection in young cattle continues to be difficult using current tests.

No abstract

During the 2010−11 summer outbreak of ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1) in New Zealand, an opportunistic longitudinal field study was conducted. OsHV-1 PCR-negative oyster spat (Crassostrea gigas) were relocated to an OsHV-1 PCR-positive area of the North Island of New Zealand that was experiencing juvenile oyster mortalities. Over a period of 13 d, spat were monitored for mortality, sampled for histopathology, and tested for the presence of OsHV-1 using real time PCR and Vibrio culture. Histopathology showed some evidence of tissue pathology; however, no consistent progressive pathology was apparent. Field mortalities were evident from Day 6 on. After 5 and 7 d of exposure, 83 and 100% of spat, respectively, tested positive for the virus by real time PCR. Vibrio species recovered during the longitudinal study included V. splendidus and V. aestuarianus. This study offers insight into the rapidity of onset and virulence of the virus in naïve oyster spat in New Zealand waters. KEY WORDS: Ostreid herpesvirus 1 · Vibrio · Crassostrea gigas Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherDis Aquat Org 109: 231-239, 2014 al. 1972). In 1999, Le Deuff and Renault undertook initial molecular characterisation of the virus infecting Pacific oysters (Le Deuff & Renault 1999). This was followed up by the identification of the first variant (OsHV-1 Var) (Arzul et al. 2001a,b) and subsequent whole-genome sequencing of the ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1; GenBank AY509253) (Davison et al. 2005). Segarra et al. (2010) published sequencing data on the emergence of the now problematic microvariant (OsHV-1 µVar).Several studies have identified other pathogens associated with major OsHV-1 mortality events in Europe. Vibrio species, including V. splendidus, V. aestuarianus and V. harveyi, have been isolated in association with OsHV-1 mortalities , Dégremont 2011, Schikorski et al. 2011a. Whilst Vibrio species are likely to be opportunistic pathogens, the significance of regular detection in association with OsHV-1 should not be overlooked. The major oyster mortality events in Europe are considered to be multi-factorial, with OsHV-1, Vibrio species and environmental conditions (e.g. increased water temperatures) all believed to contribute (Sauvage et al. 2009, Segarra et al. 2010, De Decker & Saulnier 2011, De Decker et al. 2011.During the summer of 2010−11 in New Zealand, OsHV-1, Vibrio species and warm water temperatures appeared to contribute to the deaths of juvenile C. gigas on the North Island of New Zealand. During the mortality event, the oyster industry provided access to pre-planned movements of apparently healthy hatchery-reared spat to an oyster growing site on the North Island where oyster mortalities attributed to OsHV-1 were occurring. This provided a unique opportunity to conduct a longitudinal study. This paper describes the molecular characterisation of the New Zealand OsHV-1 virus and results of the longitudinal study. MATERIALS AND METHODS Longitudinal studyApproximately 17 0...