**1.1 Animals affected**

Brucellosis is a bacterial disease of the genus *Brucella*, and six different species exist; namely:

i.*B. abortus* ii.*B. melitensis* iii.*B. suis* iv.*B canis* v.*B. ovis* vi.*B. neotomae*—desert rat

The disease affects cattle, goat, sheep, pigs, buffaloes, camels and reindeer, and other animals may be less frequently affected. All the above diseases cause *brucellosis*, but of significance to man and animals worldwide are three species *Brucella suis* affecting pigs, *Brucella melitensis* affecting small ruminants and *Brucella abortus* affecting cattle. *Brucella canis* also affects dogs.

Recent research shows that Brucella causes pinnipedialis in seals and *ceti* sp. in whales [4].
