Atypical <i>Brucella</i> sp in captive Australian green tree frogs (<i>Litoria caerulea</i>): clinical features, pathology, culture and molecular characterization

Latheef, S; Keyburn, Anthony L.; Broz, Ivano; Bagnara, A; Bayley, C; Frith, Sarah; Dobson, EC

doi:10.1111/avj.12925

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…458 (BioSample: SAMN18395631) were recently isolated from human patients in Australia, with no further information available. However, in Australia, atypical Brucella have been isolated from rodents and repeatedly from exotic frogs ( Tiller et al, 2010 ; Latheef et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Isolation of Brucella inopinata from a White’s tree frog (Litoria caerulea): pose exotic frogs a potential risk to human health?

Scholz¹,

Heckers

Appelt³

et al. 2023

Front. Microbiol.

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IntroductionCold-blooded hosts, particularly exotic frogs, have become a newly recognized reservoir for atypical Brucella species and strains worldwide, but their pathogenicity to humans remains largely unknown. Here we report the isolation and molecular characterization of a B. inopinata strain (FO700662) cultured from clinical samples taken from a captive diseased White’s Tree Frog (Litoria caerulea) in Switzerland. The isolation of B. inopinata from a frog along with other reports of human infection by atypical Brucella raises the question of whether atypical Brucella could pose a risk to human health and deserves further attention.MethodsThe investigations included histopathological analysis of the frog, bacterial culture and in-depth molecular characterization of strain FO700662 based on genome sequencing data.Results and DiscussionOriginally identified as Ochrobactrum based on its rapid growth and biochemical profile, strain FO700622 was positive for the Brucella- specific markers bcsp31 and IS711. It showed the specific banding pattern of B. inopinata in conventional Bruce-ladder multiplex PCR and also had identical 16S rRNA and recA gene sequences as B. inopinata. Subsequent genome sequencing followed by core genome-based MLST (cgMLST) analysis using 2704 targets (74% of the total chromosome) revealed only 173 allelic differences compared to the type strain of B. inopinata BO1T, while previously considered the closest related strain BO2 differed in 2046 alleles. The overall average nucleotide identity (ANI) between the type strain BO1T and FO700622 was 99,89%, confirming that both strains were almost identical. In silico MLST-21 and MLVA-16 also identified strain FO700662 as B. inopinata. The nucleotide and amino acid-based phylogenetic reconstruction and comparative genome analysis again placed the isolate together with B. inopinata with 100% support. In conclusion, our data unequivocally classified strain FO700622, isolated from an exotic frog, as belonging to B. inopinata.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Isolation of Brucella inopinata from a White’s tree frog (Litoria caerulea): pose exotic frogs a potential risk to human health?

Scholz¹,

Heckers

Appelt³

et al. 2023

Front. Microbiol.

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“…Brucella is a facultative, intracellular, Gram‐negative coccobacillus that causes disease in various species of animals, including humans. 1 , 2 Numerous pathogenic species are recognized in veterinary medicine with the most important being Brucella abortus (primary hosts, cattle), Brucella melitensis (sheep and goats), Brucella ovis (sheep), Brucella suis (pigs), and Brucella canis (dogs). With the exception of B. ovis , all of these species are zoonotic.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clinical investigation and management of Brucella suis seropositive dogs: A longitudinal case series

Kneipp

Deutscher

Coilparampil

et al. 2023

Veterinary Internal Medicne

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Background: Brucellosis in dogs caused by Brucella suis is an emerging zoonotic disease. Objectives: To document clinical characteristics, serology, microbiology, and clinical response to treatment in B. suis-seropositive dogs. Animals: Longitudinal study of 27 privately-owned dogs. Dogs that tested positive by serology, culture, or real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were included in the study. Methods: Clinical (physical examination and imaging) and laboratory (serology, hematology, serum biochemistry, and qPCR or culture) assessments were made at baseline and after approximately 3, 6, 12, and 18 months. Results: Dogs were followed for 10 895 dog days, with 17/27 dogs completing the 18-month follow-up. Ten dogs had signs consistent with brucellosis before enrollment (n = 4), at baseline (n = 2) or during follow-up (n = 6), with 2 dogs experiencing relapse of historical signs. Antibody titers persisted for the duration of follow-up in 15/17 dogs (88%). Radiographic (n = 5) and ultrasound (n = 11) findings, of variable clinical relevance, were observed. Brucella DNA and organisms were detected in 3 dogs, all of which had clinical signs, including in the milk of a bitch around the time of whelping. Brucella DNA was not detected in blood (n = 92 samples), urine (n = 80), saliva (n = 95) or preputial swabs (n = 78) at any time during follow-up. Six dogs underwent treatment, all of which achieved clinical remission although remission was not reflected by decreasing antibody titers. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Most dogs with B. suis infections have subclinical infections. Serology is poorly associated with clinical disease. Excretion of

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“…have emerged from coldblooded animals. B. inopinataand B. microti-like strains were found in amphibians, primarily in African bullfrogs [14,33], and later on in various other frog species all over the world [5,[34][35][36][37][38] as well as toads [23,[39][40][41], reptiles such as the panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) [42], and fish, such as the bluespotted ribbontail ray (Taeniura lymma) [43]. A first human case caused by an amphibian-type Brucella spp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Retrospective on Atypical Brucella Species Leads to Novel Definitions

et al. 2022

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The genus Brucella currently comprises twelve species of facultative intracellular bacteria with variable zoonotic potential. Six of them have been considered as classical, causing brucellosis in terrestrial mammalian hosts, with two species originated from marine mammals. In the past fifteen years, field research as well as improved pathogen detection and typing have allowed the identification of four new species, namely Brucella microti, Brucella inopinata, Brucella papionis, Brucella vulpis, and of numerous strains, isolated from a wide range of hosts, including for the first time cold-blooded animals. While their genome sequences are still highly similar to those of classical strains, some of them are characterized by atypical phenotypes such as higher growth rate, increased resistance to acid stress, motility, and lethality in the murine infection model. In our review, we provide an overview of state-of-the-art knowledge about these novel Brucella sp., with emphasis on their phylogenetic positions in the genus, their metabolic characteristics, acid stress resistance mechanisms, and their behavior in well-established in cellulo and in vivo infection models. Comparison of phylogenetic classification and phenotypical properties between classical and novel Brucella species and strains finally lead us to propose a more adapted terminology, distinguishing between core and non-core, and typical versus atypical brucellae, respectively.

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Atypical Brucella sp in captive Australian green tree frogs (Litoria caerulea): clinical features, pathology, culture and molecular characterization

Cited by 9 publications

References 21 publications

Isolation of Brucella inopinata from a White’s tree frog (Litoria caerulea): pose exotic frogs a potential risk to human health?

Isolation of Brucella inopinata from a White’s tree frog (Litoria caerulea): pose exotic frogs a potential risk to human health?

Clinical investigation and management of Brucella suis seropositive dogs: A longitudinal case series

The Retrospective on Atypical Brucella Species Leads to Novel Definitions

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