Name: Brucella ovis Buddle 1956 (Approved Lists 1980)

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: o’vis. L. gen. fem. n. ovis, of the sheep

Pronunciation (Latin), gender: bru-KEL-la O-wis, feminine

Type strain: 63/290; ATCC 25840; NCTC 10512

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: L26168 Analyse FASTA

Effective publication: Buddle MB. Studies on Brucella ovis (n.sp.), a cause of genital disease of sheep in New Zealand and Australia. J Hyg (Lond) 1956; 54:351-364.

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: synonym (and not recommended for medical use)

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

Risk group: 3

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    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 microti Scholz et al. 2008	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    Brucella inopinata Scholz et al. 2010	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 neotomae Stoenner and Lackman 1957 (Approved Lists 1980)	heterotypic synonym, validly published under the ICNP
    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 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
    "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:
  • ⏲ According to Verger et al. (1985), this species is a later heterotypic synonym of "Streptococcus melitensis" Hughes 1893. 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 a later heterotypic synonym of Brucella melitensis (Hughes 1893) 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.
  • ❗ Brucella ovis 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 0.14652 (N = 29).
  • 😷 The risk group for Belgium has been imported on 2024-02-05. The full classification is: risk group = 3, note = "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: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No". — The risk group for Germany has been imported on 2026-08-13. The full classification is: risk group = 3, 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 441 times in PubMed until 2026-06-11.
  • 🙅 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.
  • 🧍 According to the Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Brucella [1, 2], the nomenclature proposed by the Manchester meeting [3] has not found widespread support. Publication: Gargani G, Lopez-Merino A. International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology, Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Brucella correspondence report (interim report 1991-1993). Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2006; 56:1167-1168.
  • 🧍 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. Publication: Osterman B, Moriyón I. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Brucella. Minutes of the meeting, 17 September 2003, Pamplona, Spain. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 2006; 56:1173-1175.
  • 🧍 See also: Publication: Corbel MJ. ICSB, SUBCOMMITTEE ON THE TAXONOMY OF BRUCELLA: Report of the meeting, 5 September 1986, Manchester, England. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1988; 38:450-452.
  • 🧍 See also: Publication: Corbel MJ, Moriyón I. International Committee on Systematic Bacteriology Subcommittee on the taxonomy of Brucella. Minutes of the meeting, 5 and 7 July 1994, Prague, Czech Republic. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 2006; 56:1169-1170.

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

Assigned by: Buddle MB. Studies on Brucella ovis (n.sp.), a cause of genital disease of sheep in New Zealand and Australia. J Hyg (Lond) 1956; 54:351-364.

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Record number: 783566