brucella

Thân thiện

A scientist examines a slide containing brucella under a microscope.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of bacterium: A very small, rod-shaped (coccobacillus), Gram-negative bacterium that requires oxygen to live (aerobic). It is the cause of the infectious disease brucellosis in animals and humans.
   • A potential biological weapon: Due to its ability to cause disease, it is classified as an agent that could be used in biological warfare or bioterrorism.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The veterinarian identified Brucella in the milk sample from the infected cow.
  • Laboratory workers must take extreme precautions when handling Brucella cultures.
  • The treaty aims to prevent the use of pathogens like Brucella as bioweapons.

Advanced Usage

• Scientific Classification: The term "Brucella" is also the name of the entire genus of these bacteria. Different species within this genus infect different animals (e.g., in cattle, in goats and sheep).
  • The most common species causing human illness is Brucella melitensis.

Variants and Related Words

• Brucellosis (n): The disease caused by infection with bacteria. It is also known as Malta fever, Mediterranean fever, or undulant fever.
  • Symptoms of brucellosis include fever, fatigue, and joint pain.

Synonyms

• Pathogen: A general term for any bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease.
• Zoonotic agent: An infectious agent that can be transmitted from animals to humans. is a primary example.

Related Phrases

• Gram-negative coccobacillus: A standard microbiological description referring to its shape (short rod) and its reaction to a laboratory staining test (Gram stain), which is important for identification.
  • Brucella is characterized as a Gram-negative coccobacillus.

Related Idioms

Học thuật

Noun

1. an aerobic Gram-negative coccobacillus that causes brucellosis; can be used as a bioweapon

Từ đồng nghĩa

• brucella