Programa de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional Heredia, Costa Rica.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2012 Feb 6;2:3. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2012.00003. eCollection 2012.
Since the first case of brucellosis detected in a dolphin aborted fetus, an increasing number of Brucella ceti isolates has been reported in members of the two suborders of cetaceans: Mysticeti and Odontoceti. Serological surveys have shown that cetacean brucellosis may be distributed worldwide in the oceans. Although all B. ceti isolates have been included within the same species, three different groups have been recognized according to their preferred host, bacteriological properties, and distinct genetic traits: B. ceti dolphin type, B. ceti porpoise type, and B. ceti human type. It seems that B. ceti porpoise type is more closely related to B. ceti human isolates and B. pinnipedialis group, while B. ceti dolphin type seems ancestral to them. Based on comparative phylogenetic analysis, it is feasible that the B. ceti ancestor radiated in a terrestrial artiodactyl host close to the Raoellidae family about 58 million years ago. The more likely mode of transmission of B. ceti seems to be through sexual intercourse, maternal feeding, aborted fetuses, placental tissues, vertical transmission from mother to the fetus or through fish or helminth reservoirs. The B. ceti dolphin and porpoise types seem to display variable virulence in land animal models and low infectivity for humans. However, brucellosis in some dolphins and porpoises has been demonstrated to be a severe chronic disease, displaying significant clinical and pathological signs related to abortions, male infertility, neurobrucellosis, cardiopathies, bone and skin lesions, strandings, and death.
自第一例在海豚流产胎儿中检测到布鲁氏菌病以来，越来越多的鲸目动物亚种 Mysticeti 和 Odontoceti 成员中分离到了鲸型布氏杆菌。血清学调查表明，海洋中的鲸类布鲁氏菌病可能分布于世界各地。尽管所有的鲸型布氏杆菌分离株都属于同一物种，但根据其宿主偏好、细菌学特性和独特的遗传特征，已识别出三个不同的群组：海豚型鲸型布氏杆菌、鼠海豚型鲸型布氏杆菌和人型鲸型布氏杆菌。似乎鼠海豚型鲸型布氏杆菌与人型鲸型布氏杆菌和鳍足类布氏杆菌群更为接近，而海豚型鲸型布氏杆菌似乎是它们的祖先。基于比较系统发育分析，鲸型布氏杆菌的祖先可能在 5800 万年前在一种接近雷兽科的陆生偶蹄目宿主中辐射进化而来。鲸型布氏杆菌更可能的传播方式似乎是通过性传播、母婴喂养、流产胎儿、胎盘组织、垂直传播（从母亲传播到胎儿）或通过鱼类或寄生虫库传播。海豚型和鼠海豚型鲸型布氏杆菌在陆生动物模型中似乎表现出可变的毒力，对人类的感染性较低。然而，一些海豚和鼠海豚的布鲁氏菌病已被证明是一种严重的慢性疾病，表现出与流产、雄性不育、神经布鲁氏菌病、心脏病、骨骼和皮肤损伤、搁浅和死亡相关的明显临床和病理迹象。
