Swine brucellosis

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Brucella suis

Brucella suis culture

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Bacteria

Phylum: Proteobacteria

Class: Alpha Proteobacteria

Order: Rhizobiales

Family: Brucellaceae

Genus: Brucella

Species: B. suis

Binomial name

Brucella suis

     Absent

     Serologic evidence

     Confirmed infections

Swine brucellosis is a contagious disease in pigs caused by the bacteria, Brucella suis. The disease spreads in semen during breeding and by ingestion, inhalation, or eye contact with bacteria in milk, reproductive fluids, placenta, aborted fetuses and urine. The disease primarily occurs in adult pigs which show non-specific infertility, abortion or lack of sexual drive. Boars can show signs of orchitis, lameness, arthritis, abscesses and posterior paralysis. There is no treatment for the disease and no effective vaccine.^[1]

[edit] Use as a biological weapon

The U.S. Army Chemical Corps selected Brucella suis as its first standardized biological agent in 1949.^[2] The M33 cluster bomb was designed to be used with B. suis.^[2]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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