Bartonella and Brucella--weapons and strategies for stealth attack.

Establishment of Chronic Infection: Brucella's Stealth Strategy

Brucella is a facultative intracellular pathogen that causes zoonotic infection known as brucellosis which results in abortion and infertility in natural host. Humans, especially in low income countries, can acquire infection by direct contact with infected animal or by consumption of animal products and show high morbidity, severe economic losses and public health problems. However for surviva...

Brucellosis: new demands in a changing world.

AIM To provide an up-to-date overview on the role of Brucella as a possible biological (B-) agent to be used in biological warfare, biological crimes and biological terrorism (with special respect to agroterrorism) scenarios. METHODS An analysis of current literature and of Internet-based sources was made. RESULTS Brucella spp. have always been in the focus of military decision. The main re...

Nucleotide sequence and comparison of the 5S ribosomal RNA genes of Rochalimaea henselae, R.quintana and Brucella abortus.

Brucella melitensis invades murine erythrocytes during infection.

Brucella spp. are facultative intracellular Gram-negative coccobacilli responsible for brucellosis, a worldwide zoonosis. We observed that Brucella melitensis is able to persist for several weeks in the blood of intraperitoneally infected mice and that transferred blood at any time point tested is able to induce infection in naive recipient mice. Bacterial persistence in the blood is dramatical...

Molecular Survey of Bacterial Zoonotic Agents in Bats from the Country of Georgia (Caucasus)

Bats are important reservoirs for many zoonotic pathogens. However, no surveys of bacterial pathogens in bats have been performed in the Caucasus region. To understand the occurrence and distribution of bacterial infections in these mammals, 218 bats belonging to eight species collected from four regions of Georgia were examined for Bartonella, Brucella, Leptospira, and Yersinia using molecular...