Brucellosis in the Arctic and Northern Regions

Abstract

Brucellosis is a major zoonosis worldwide, including the Arctic and subarctic regions. It is caused by bacteria from the Brucella genus that primarily infects mammals, sometimes at livestock-wildlife interfaces, in which humans are spillover hosts. Brucella suis biovar 4 has almost a circumpolar distribution and is the main etiological agent in northern terrestrial ecosystems. It is named rangiferine brucellosis because it is maintained by reindeer and caribou; however, it is also found in muskoxen and other wildlife. Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis have been eradicated from livestock in most countries, yet are still present in cattle and small ruminants from Russia, and B. abortus in wood bison from Canada. Brucellosis is typically associated with reproductive failure and lesions in genital organs, joints, and other parts of the body. An impact on productivity and negative effects on population dynamics may occur in epizootics and enzootically infected livestock and wildlife populations. In marine ecosystems, B. ceti is mainly associated with dolphins, porpoises, and whales, and B. pinnipedialis with seals. Brucellosis in cetaceans may cause reproductive tract lesions, but a high proportion of neurobrucellosis cases associated with B. ceti are being diagnosed in stranded cetaceans. Brucellosis in wildlife and semidomesticated reindeer is an important zoonotic threat for Indigenous people around the Arctic who rely on wildlife for subsistence and cultural activities. Brucellosis continues emerging and reemerging in the Arctic and northern regions, posing a disease risk to animals and people.