Brucella suis ATCC 23445

The genus Brucella is comprised mostly of mammalian pathogens, which due to their low infectious does, aerosol transmission and treatment difficulty are classified as potential bioterrorism agents. Brucellosis is a major infectious disease for both human and animals. Several Brucella species (B.abortus, B.melitensis and B.suis) have been isolated from many different animals. All three Brucella species cause a severe human disease characterized in its acute phase by undulant fever and in its chronic phase by damage of different organs. When the infection is localized to the brain or the heart, it can result in a fatal meningitidis or fatal endocarditis, respectively. Brucellosis is a major problem in the Mediterranean region and parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Brucella suis was the first pathogenic organism weaponized by the U.S. military during the 1950s. Although Brucellae contain a large set of flagellar genes, they display a species-specific gene inactivation and consequently are nonmotile. (EBI Integr8)