Name: Brucella pinnipedialis Foster et al. 2007

Category: Species

Proposed as: sp. nov.

Etymology: pin.ni.pe.di.a’lis. N.L. fem. adj. pinnipedialis, pertaining to pinnipeds

Pronunciation (Latin), gender: bru-KEL-la pin-ni-pe-di-A-lis, feminine

Type strain: 2/94; BCCN 94-73; NCTC 12890

See detailed strain information at

Conduct genome-based taxonomy at

16S rRNA gene: AM158981 Analyse FASTA

Valid publication: Foster G, Osterman BS, Godfroid J, Jacques I, Cloeckaert A. Brucella ceti sp. nov. and Brucella pinnipedialis sp. nov. for Brucella strains with cetaceans and seals as their preferred hosts. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2007; 57:2688-2693. 🇬🇧

IJSEM list: Euzeby JP. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 57, part 11 of the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2008; 58:313-314.

Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP

Taxonomic status: correct name (and explicitly recommended for medical use)

Risk group: 3

• Synonyms:

  • Name	Kind
    "Brucella maris" Jahans et al. 1997	homotypic synonym, not validly published

• Notes:
  • 😷 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 = 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 35 times in PubMed until 2026-06-11.
  • 🙆 This name is on the List of Recommended Names for bacteria of medical importance (LoRN) as 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 Bartlett et al. (2022), no evidence of human infection was found for this species. Publication: Bartlett A, Padfield D, Lear L, Bendall R, Vos M. A comprehensive list of bacterial pathogens infecting humans. Microbiology (Reading) 2022; 168:0. 🇬🇧
  • 🧍 Brucella pinnipedialis Foster et al. 2007 encompasses the proposed type strain of "Brucella maris" Jahans et al. 1997. Publication: Jahans KL, Foster G, Broughton ES. The characterisation of Brucella strains isolated from marine mammals. Vet Microbiol 1997; 57:373-382.
  • 🧍 Brucella pinnipedialis Foster et al. 2007 was previously known as "Brucella pinnipediae" Cloeckaert et al. 2001. Publication: Cloeckaert A, Verger JM, Grayon M, Paquet JY, Garin-Bastuji B, Foster G, Godfroid J. Classification of Brucella spp. isolated from marine mammals by DNA polymorphism at the omp2 locus. Microbes Infect 2001; 3:729-738. 🇫🇷

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

Assigned by: Foster G, Osterman BS, Godfroid J, Jacques I, Cloeckaert A. Brucella ceti sp. nov. and Brucella pinnipedialis sp. nov. for Brucella strains with cetaceans and seals as their preferred hosts. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2007; 57:2688-2693. 🇬🇧

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Record number: 786934