The central challenge in brucellosis prevention and control stems from the marked heterogeneity among Brucella species. This review establishes a “Virulence-Metabolism-Temporal and Spatial” (VMT) model and proposes a Virulence Index (VI) formula to systematically compare the biological characteristics and host interaction mechanisms of four pathogenic Brucella species: B. melitensis , B. abortus , B. suis , and B. canis . Our analysis reveals that these species represent an evolutionary continuum from high virulence with acute dissemination to low virulence with tissue localization. B. melitensis achieves deep immune stealth and triggers systemic spread through its ultra-efficient Type IV Secretion System (T4SS), specific lipid A modifications, and potent apoptosis inhibition. B. suis specifically targets bone marrow and induces bone destruction via acid-inducible T4SS activation and iron metabolic hijacking. B. abortus elicits partial autophagic clearance due to insufficient T4SS efficiency, resulting in self-limiting infections. B. canis provokes intense inflammatory responses through its rough lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and exhibits defective T4SS function, precluding persistent infection establishment. The VMT model elucidates the causal chain linking molecular characteristics to cellular interactions and clinical phenotypes, demonstrating that virulence depends on the precise balance between immune evasion efficiency and host cell fate regulation. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for species-specific diagnosis, stratified therapeutics, and One Health-based precision prevention and control of brucellosis.
CHENG et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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