brucella

[broo-sel-uh]

noun

Bacteriology.

plural

brucellae, brucellas 

1. any of several rod-shaped, aerobic bacteria of the genus Brucella, certain species of which, as B. melitensis, are pathogenic for humans and other animals.

Word History and Origins

Origin of brucella¹

1920; < New Latin; after D. Bruce; -ella

Example Sentences

Scientists have been monitoring Brucella canis, a rare disease that can be passed to humans.

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McAfee’s milk is highly regulated by the state of California, which performs frequent testing for food-illness pests such as campylobacter, cryptosporidium, E. coli, listeria, brucella and salmonella and other bacterial illnesses in his milk.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Per the organization, these illnesses are attributed to a variety of pathogens, including: Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Brucella abortus.

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If cattle were to become infected with the highly contagious Brucella abortus bacterium, it would result in a lockdown of the animals.

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Because the test was measuring the immune system’s response to the infection, rather than finding the bug itself, he knew it was possible that the positive result could be triggered by a bacterium other than Brucella.

Read more on New York Times