Name: Brucella microti Scholz et al. 2008

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: mi.cro’ti. N.L. gen. masc. n. microti, of Microtus, after the vole genus from which the first strains of this species have been isolated

Gender: feminine

Type strain: BCCN 7-01; CAPM 6434; CCM 4915

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: AM392286 Analyse FASTA

Valid publication: Scholz HC, Hubalek Z, Sedlacek I, Vergnaud G, Tomaso H, Al Dahouk S, Melzer F, Kampfer P, Neubauer H, Cloeckaert A, et al. Brucella microti sp. nov., isolated from the common vole Microtus arvalis. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2008; 58:375-382. 🇩🇪

IJSEM list: Euzeby JP. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 58, part 2 of the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2008; 58:1058-1059.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: synonym (and not recommended for medical use)

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

Risk group: 2

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    Brucella suis Huddleson 1929 (Approved Lists 1980)	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    "Streptococcus melitensis" Hughes 1893	heterotypic synonym, not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists
    Brucella ceti Foster et al. 2007	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Brucella canis Carmichael and Bruner 1968 (Approved Lists 1980)	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Brucella melitensis (Hughes 1893) Meyer and Shaw 1920 (Approved Lists 1980)	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Brucella inopinata Scholz et al. 2010	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Brucella ovis Buddle 1956 (Approved Lists 1980)	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Brucella vulpis Scholz et al. 2016	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Brucella abortus (Schmidt 1901) Meyer and Shaw 1920 (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

• Emendations:
  • 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:
    • 🫂 Emendation accompanied by a proposal regarding the synonymy of the species.

• Notes:
  • ⏲ According to Hördt et al. (2020), this species is a later heterotypic synonym of "Streptococcus melitensis" Hughes 1893. Publication: 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. 🇩🇪
  • ⏲ According to Hördt et al. (2020), this species is a later heterotypic synonym of Brucella melitensis (Hughes 1893) Meyer and Shaw 1920 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: 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. 🇩🇪
  • ❗ Brucella microti is the correct name instead if this species is regarded as a separate species (i.e., if its nomenclatural type is not assigned to another species whose name is validly published, legitimate and not rejected and has priority) within a separate genus Brucella.
  • 🧬 The phylogenomic assignment score of this taxon is 0.16127 (N = 28).
  • 😷 The risk group for Germany has been imported on 2023-10-29. The full classification is: risk group = 2, note = "Z". — 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 33 times in PubMed until 2025-06-04.
  • 🙅 This name is on the List of Recommended Names for bacteria of medical importance (LoRN) as a synonym of the name to be applied to this species. The name is on LoRN because of the recorded risk group of the species itself.

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

Assigned by: Scholz HC, Hubalek Z, Sedlacek I, Vergnaud G, Tomaso H, Al Dahouk S, Melzer F, Kampfer P, Neubauer H, Cloeckaert A, et al. Brucella microti sp. nov., isolated from the common vole Microtus arvalis. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2008; 58:375-382. 🇩🇪

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Record number: 787205