Brucellae
infections have been documented world-wide over the years in a great variety of terrestrial wildlife species. Recently, brucellae
infections have also been reported in a wide variety of marine mammals. A very important consideration with regard to terrestrial
brucellosis in wildlife is to distinguish between a spillover of
infection from domestic animals and a sustainable
infection in wild species. The probability of
brucellosis becoming established and being sustainable in a species depends on a combination of factors including host susceptibility, infectious dose, contact with infected animals, management and environmental factors. In this context, the development of the game farming industry appears to have contributed to the re-emergence of
brucellosis. The gold standard in
brucellosis diagnosis remains the isolation of brucellae. If
brucellosis is suspected in an animal or a wildlife population following positive serological results, attempts to isolate the organism should always be performed. The release of anti-brucellae
vaccine strain in wildlife is of concern because this could lead to environmental contamination and
infection of other wild species. Therefore, the appropriate dosage of the
vaccine in target species as well as the safety of the
vaccine in non-target species must be addressed in technical terms in order to assist decision-making regarding the management of wildlife
brucellosis.