article · Pathogens
Brucellosis is a widespread and highly contagious zoonotic disease. Researchers applied whole-genome sequencing to examine the genetic diversity and epidemiology of twenty-nine Brucella isolates collected from infected cattle, buffaloes, sheep, and goats across nine districts in Egypt. The collection comprised eight Brucella abortus biovar 1 and twenty-one Brucella melitensis biovar 3 isolates, identified through microbiological analysis, mass spectrometry, and multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Genomic typing classified the isolates into sequence types ST1 and ST11, respectively. Core-genome single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis grouped them into distinct genotypes that showed an irregular distribution across time and geography. Comparisons with international genomic databases revealed that the Egyptian strains are genomically unique relative to strains from neighbouring Mediterranean, African, and Asian countries. Furthermore, genetic analysis identified specific gene mutations associated with resistance to rifampicin and ciprofloxacin.
Brucellosis affects both animal welfare and human health through zoonotic transmission. Pinpointing the genetic diversity and geographic distribution of local bacterial strains helps public health and veterinary authorities track transmission pathways. Additionally, detecting specific mutations that confer resistance to key antibiotics such as rifampicin and ciprofloxacin is vital for managing potential treatment failures and guiding regional disease control strategies.
The genomic data and identified resistance markers could inform the development of targeted diagnostic assays, molecular surveillance tools, and updated treatment protocols for veterinary and public health organisations. However, this is early-stage research focused on genomic characterisation and epidemiological mapping, meaning substantial further development and validation would be required before these findings translate into commercial diagnostic products or clinical tools.
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Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis that occurs worldwide. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has become a widely accepted molecular typing method for outbreak tracing and genomic epidemiology of brucellosis. Twenty-nine <i>Brucella</i> spp. (eight <i>B. abortus</i> biovar 1 and 21 <i>B. melitensis</i> biovar 3) were isolated from lymph nodes, milk, and fetal abomasal contents of infected cattle, buffaloes, sheep, and goats originating from nine districts in Egypt. The isolates were identified by microbiological methods and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Differentiation and genotyping were confirmed using multiplex PCR. Illumina MiSeq<sup>®</sup> was used to sequence the 29 <i>Brucella</i> isolates. Using MLST typing, ST11 and ST1 were identified among <i>B. melitensis</i> and <i>B. abortus</i>, respectively. <i>Brucella abortus</i> and <i>B. melitensis</i> isolates were divided into two main clusters (clusters 1 and 2) containing two and nine distinct genotypes by core-genome SNP analysis, respectively. The genotypes were irregularly distributed over time and space in the study area. Both Egyptian <i>B. abortus</i> and <i>B. melitensis</i> isolates proved to be genomically unique upon comparison with publicly available sequencing from strains of neighboring Mediterranean, African, and Asian countries. The antimicrobial resistance mechanism caused by mutations in rpoB, gyrA, and gyrB genes associated with rifampicin and ciprofloxacin resistance were identified. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the epidemiology of <i>Brucella</i> isolates from livestock belonging to different localities in Egypt based on whole genome analysis.
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DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10060759
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