Laboratory diagnosis of brucellosis

Abstract

Brucellosis, originally known as a Malta fever or undulant fever, is a disease caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella that are hostrestricted and affect several mammalian species, including humans. It is a zoonosis widely distributed around the world, whichcauses great economic losses in farm animals due to abortion, the slaughter of infected animals, birth of weak animals, decreasein milk production, and infertility. In humans, brucellosis is a debilitating disease with variable clinical manifestations that can resultin death in some cases. Control of brucellosis in animals requires a correct diagnosis, culling of infected animals, and permanentmonitoring of brucellosis-free herds. Although a clinical presumptive diagnosis is important, it is subjective, and therefore, laboratorialtests including direct and indirect methods are extremely important for an accurate diagnosis. This review discusses current methodsfor laboratorial diagnosis of brucellosis using clinical samples, from animals or humans.