ABSTRACT: Brucellosis is a disease caused by the Gram-negative facultative intracellular bacterium Brucella spp. In terrestrial species, this zoonotic bacterium is a global public health risk, but there is also concern over the zoonotic potential of marine forms, such as B. ceti, which affects cetaceans. Due to the detection of B. ceti in samples from bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus during the 2010-2014 Gulf of Mexico Unusual Mortality Event, a long-term study of the prevalence of Brucella in stranded bottlenose dolphins from South Carolina, USA, was conducted. From 2012 through 2017, 282 stranded bottlenose dolphins were tested for B. ceti via real-time PCR. Nearly 32% of the dolphins tested positive in at least one sample (brain, lung, blowhole swab). Very little information exists in the literature on the occurrence of Brucella spp. in marine mammals, though in terrestrial species, such as cattle and elk, higher prevalence is often reported in spring. Similar results were found in this study with the peak occurrence being between March and June, a known period of calving in South Carolina. Results from this study provide important insights into the occurrence of the marine bacterium B. ceti.

中文翻译：

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搁浅的宽吻海豚Tursiops truncatus中出现布鲁氏菌的时间与产犊季节相吻合

摘要：布鲁氏菌病是一种由革兰氏阴性兼性细胞内细菌布鲁氏菌属引起的疾病。在陆生物种中，这种人畜共患细菌是全球性的公共卫生风险，但人们也对影响鲸类动物的海洋形式（如ce。B. ceti）的人畜共患病潜力感到担忧。由于在2010-2014年墨西哥湾异常死亡事件期间从宽吻海豚Tursiops truncatus的样品中检测到B. ceti，因此对美国南卡罗来纳州搁浅的宽吻海豚中布鲁氏菌的患病率进行了长期研究。从2012年到2017年，测试了282条搁浅的宽吻海豚的B. ceti通过实时PCR。在至少一个样品（脑，肺，气孔拭子）中，近32％的海豚测试呈阳性。在文献中关于布鲁氏菌属的发生的信息很少。在海洋哺乳动物中，尽管在陆地物种（如牛和麋鹿）中，春季的患病率较高。在这项研究中发现了类似的结果，高峰发生在3月至6月之间，这是南卡罗来纳州的一个产犊时期。这项研究的结果为海洋细菌B. ceti的发生提供了重要的见识。