Phylogenomics of Brucella abortus isolated from African Buffalo in Kruger National Park: New perspectives on wildlife-cattle disease dynamics
In South Africa, Brucella abortus biovar 1 is the primary cause of bovine brucellosis, significantly impacting cattle production and trade. Serological studies have revealed brucellosis in African wildlife, complicating control efforts due to limited epidemiological data. In 1977, B. abortus biovar 1 was isolated from an African buffalo fetus in Kruger National Park (KNP), raising speculation that buffalo may serve as reservoir hosts. This study investigated Brucella spp. in free-ranging buffalo in KNP using serological, molecular, and bacteriological methods. Brucella abortus bv 1 was isolated from lymph nodes and spleens of three sub-adult buffalo in 2022, marking the first documented recurrence in 50 years. Phylogenomic analyses revealed connections between buffalo isolates and cattle strains from South Africa and South America, suggesting spillover and shared origins from Europe. Further genomic and epidemiological surveillance is required to clarify the role of buffalo as reservoir hosts for brucellosis.
Authors
- Carlo Andrea Cossu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3334-8498)
- Jacques Godfroid (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0782-7858)
- Henriëtte van Heerden (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3577-1273)
- Anna Janowicz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7263-3814)
- Fabrizio De Massis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9811-699X)
- Gilles Vergnaud (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0913-194X)
- Lin-Mari de Klerk
- Giuliano Garofolo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7017-3888)
- Jeanette Wentzel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4236-3171)
- Claude Sabeta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7842-7985)
- Maphuti Betty Ledwaba (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8762-518X)
Institutions
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- University of South Africa (ZA)
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR)
- Université Paris-Saclay (FR)
- Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (ZA)
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative de la Cellule (FR)
- CEA Paris-Saclay (FR)
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise G. Caporale (IT)
- Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (ZA)
- University of Pretoria (ZA)
- UiT The Arctic University of Norway (NO)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Veterinary Microbiology
- Published
- 2025-03-27
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetmic.2025.110493
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Brucella: diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 7.06