Institute of Continuing Medical Education of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2010 Nov;36 Suppl 1:S8-11. doi: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2010.06.013. Epub 2010 Aug 8.
Brucellosis is a zoonosis that preceded humans but continues to cause significant medical, veterinary and socioeconomic problems, mainly because its overall burden remains underestimated and neglected. Its ecology, or what we know of it, has evolved rapidly in recent years. Two novel species, Brucella ceti and B. pinnipedialis, with the potential for causing human disease have been isolated from marine mammals. Another novel species, B. microti, has been isolated from wildlife animals, whilst B. inopinata has been isolated from a human case. An active spillover of Brucella between domestic animals and wildlife is also being recognised, with elk transmitting B. abortus to cattle, and freshwater fish becoming infected with B. melitensis from waste meat. In recent years the global epidemiology of the disease has not altered drastically, apart from increased awareness of brucellosis in sub-Saharan Africa and a rapid expansion of disease endemicity in the Balkan Peninsula. Isolated stories and events underline that Brucella knows no borders. The modern world has offered the pathogen the ability to travel and manifest itself anywhere and has also offered scientists the ability to track these manifestations better than ever before. This may allow the disease to be neglected no longer, or at least to be recognised as neglected.
布鲁氏菌病是一种人兽共患病，尽管早于人类出现，但仍在持续造成严重的医学、兽医和社会经济问题，主要是因为其整体负担仍被低估和忽视。近年来，其生态学（或我们所了解的情况）迅速发展。已从海洋哺乳动物中分离出两种新型物种，即可能引起人类疾病的鲸布鲁氏菌和鳍状布鲁氏菌。另一种新型物种，微小布鲁氏菌，已从野生动物中分离出来，而意外布鲁氏菌则从人类病例中分离出来。家养动物和野生动物之间布鲁氏菌的主动溢出也在被认识到，麋鹿将流产布鲁氏菌传播给牛，淡水鱼从废肉中感染了马耳他布鲁氏菌。近年来，除了撒哈拉以南非洲地区对布鲁氏菌病的认识提高，以及巴尔干半岛疾病流行范围迅速扩大之外，该疾病的全球流行病学并未发生巨大变化。孤立的故事和事件表明，布鲁氏菌病没有国界。现代世界为病原体提供了在任何地方传播和表现自身的能力，也为科学家提供了比以往任何时候都更好地追踪这些表现的能力。这可能使这种疾病不再被忽视，或者至少被认为是被忽视的。
