Name: Brucella melitensis (Hughes 1893) Meyer and Shaw 1920 (Approved Lists 1980)

Category: Species

Proposed as: comb. nov.

Basonym: "Streptococcus melitensis" Hughes 1893

Etymology: me.lit.en’sis. N.L. fem. adj. melitensis, of or pertaining to the Island of Malta (Melita) where first isolated (Bruce, 1893)

Gender: feminine

Type strain: 16M; ATCC 23456; NCTC 10094

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: AF220147 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Meyer KF, Shaw EB. A comparison of the morphologic, cultural and biochemical characteristics of B. abortus and B. melitensis from cattle. Studies on the genus Brucella nov. gen. Journal of Infectious Diseases 1920; 27:173-184.

IJSEM list: Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1980; 30:225-420.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name

Risk group: 3

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Brucella canis Carmichael and Bruner 1968 (Approved Lists 1980)	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Brucella neotomae Stoenner and Lackman 1957 (Approved Lists 1980)	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    "Bacterium abortus" Schmidt 1901	heterotypic synonym, not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists
    Brucella suis Huddleson 1929 (Approved Lists 1980)	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    "Streptococcus melitensis" Hughes 1893	homotypic synonym, not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists
    Brucella abortus (Schmidt 1901) Meyer and Shaw 1920 (Approved Lists 1980)	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Brucella ovis Buddle 1956 (Approved Lists 1980)	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP

• Emendations:
  • Verger et al. 1985 Verger JM, Grimont F, Grimont PAD, Grayon M. Brucella, a monospecific genus as shown by deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1985; 35:292-295.
    Notes:
    • 🫂 Emendation accompanied by 5 proposals regarding the synonymy of the species.
    • 🧍 According to the phylogenetic definition of a species [1], only one species, Brucella melitensis (Hughes 1893) Meyer and Shaw 1920 (Approved Lists 1980), should be recognized in the genus Brucella [2]. So, Brucella melitensis (Hughes 1893) Meyer and Shaw 1920 (Approved Lists 1980) emend. — 🧍 According to the Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Brucella [1, 2], the nomenclature proposed by the Manchester meeting [3] has not found widespread support. — 🧍 During its meeting, 17 September 2003, Pamplona, Spain [4], the Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Brucella agreed unanimously upon a proposal by B. Osterman on a return to pre-1986 taxonomic opinion on the genus Brucella, without any objections or reservations. The fact to recognize a monospecific genus [i.e. Brucella melitensis (Hughes 1893) Meyer and Shaw 1920 (Approved Lists 1980) emend. Verger et al. 1985] or a multispecific genus (i.e. the six species cited in the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names) is a matter of taxonomic opinion. Consequently, according to his/her scientific opinion, a bacteriologist may use the one species concept or the six species concept.
  • Hördt et al. 2020 Hordt A, Lopez MG, Meier-Kolthoff JP, Schleuning M, Weinhold LM, Tindall BJ, Gronow S, Kyrpides NC, Woyke T, Goker M. Analysis of 1,000+ Type-Strain Genomes Substantially Improves Taxonomic Classification of Alphaproteobacteria. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:468. Oren A, Garrity GM. List of changes in taxonomic opinion no. 32. Notification of changes in taxonomic opinion previously published outside the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2020; 70:4061-4090.

• Notes:
  • 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the genus Brucella Meyer and Shaw 1920 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Meyer KF, Shaw EB. A comparison of the morphologic, cultural and biochemical characteristics of B. abortus and B. melitensis from cattle. Studies on the genus Brucella nov. gen. Journal of Infectious Diseases 1920; 27:173-184.
  • ⏰ According to Verger et al. (1985), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of "Bacterium abortus" Schmidt 1901. Publication: Verger JM, Grimont F, Grimont PAD, Grayon M. Brucella, a monospecific genus as shown by deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1985; 35:292-295.
  • ⏰ According to Verger et al. (1985), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Brucella abortus (Schmidt 1901) Meyer and Shaw 1920 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Verger JM, Grimont F, Grimont PAD, Grayon M. Brucella, a monospecific genus as shown by deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1985; 35:292-295.
  • ⏰ According to Verger et al. (1985), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Brucella canis Carmichael and Bruner 1968 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Verger JM, Grimont F, Grimont PAD, Grayon M. Brucella, a monospecific genus as shown by deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1985; 35:292-295.
  • ⏰ According to Verger et al. (1985), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Brucella neotomae Stoenner and Lackman 1957 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Verger JM, Grimont F, Grimont PAD, Grayon M. Brucella, a monospecific genus as shown by deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1985; 35:292-295.
  • ⏰ According to Verger et al. (1985), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Brucella ovis Buddle 1956 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Verger JM, Grimont F, Grimont PAD, Grayon M. Brucella, a monospecific genus as shown by deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1985; 35:292-295.
  • ⏰ According to Verger et al. (1985), this species is an earlier heterotypic synonym of Brucella suis Huddleson 1929 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Verger JM, Grimont F, Grimont PAD, Grayon M. Brucella, a monospecific genus as shown by deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1985; 35:292-295.
  • 😷 The risk group for Belgium has been imported on 2024-02-05. The full classification is: risk group = 3, note = "biovar Abortus: 3 human and animal pathogen - biological class of risk animal: 3; biovar Canis: 3 human and animal pathogen - biological class of risk animal: 3; bv. Canis: 3 human and animal pathogen - biological class of risk animal: 3; default: 3 human and animal pathogen - biological class of risk animal: 3; biovar Neotomae: 3 human and animal pathogen - biological class of risk animal: 3; bv. Neotomae: 3 human and animal pathogen - biological class of risk animal: 3; biovar Suis: 3 human and animal pathogen - biological class of risk animal: 3; bv. Suis: 3 human and animal pathogen - biological class of risk animal: 3; biovar Ovis: 3 human and animal pathogen - biological class of risk animal: 3; bv. Ovis: 3 human and animal pathogen - biological class of risk animal: 3". — The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 3, note = "Animal classification RG: 3 - Security sensitive biological agent: Yes - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: Yes - Containment level: Containment Level 3". — The risk group for Swiss Confederation has been imported on 2024-02-01. The full classification is: risk group = 3. — The risk group for Germany has been imported on 2023-10-29. The full classification is: risk group = 3, note = "default: 3 Z; biovar abortus: 3 Z; biovar canis: 3 Z; biovar melitensis: 3 Z; biovar neotomae: 3 Z; biovar ovis: 3 Z; biovar suis: 3 Z". — The risk group for France has been imported on 2024-08-30. The full classification is: risk group = 3. — The risk group for Sweden has been imported on 2024-02-05. The full classification is: risk group = 3. — The risk group for Taiwan has been imported on 2024-11-03. The full classification is: risk group = 3, note = "P620 = v, P650 = v". — The risk group for United Kingdom has been imported on 2024-01-31. The full classification is: risk group = 3, note = "Classified under SAPO". — If in doubt, use the risk group given in the regulations for your country and, if these are not available, use the risk group given in the catalogue of the culture collection from which you have obtained or intend to obtain the strain.
  • 🎓 Name mentioned 2386 times in PubMed until 2024-03-28.
  • 🧍 According to Bartlett et al. (2022), this species is an established human pathogen. Publication: Bartlett A, Padfield D, Lear L, Bendall R, Vos M. A comprehensive list of bacterial pathogens infecting humans. Microbiology 2022; 168:0.

Parent taxon: Brucella Meyer and Shaw 1920 (Approved Lists 1980)

Assigned by: Meyer KF, Shaw EB. A comparison of the morphologic, cultural and biochemical characteristics of B. abortus and B. melitensis from cattle. Studies on the genus Brucella nov. gen. Journal of Infectious Diseases 1920; 27:173-184.

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Record number: 783564