Atypical brucellae show deviant phenotypes and/or genotypes. Besides Brucella inopinata, B. microti and B. vulpis, atypical strains have been described infecting humans, rodents, amphibians and fish. They represent potential zoonotic agents. Here, we provide evidence that reptiles as the remaining poikilothermic vertebrate class also represent susceptible hosts for atypical Brucella.

Members of the genusSneathiaare fastidious bacteria that predominantly colonise the female genital tract and are significantly associated with reproductive disorders and genital and neonatal disease. From a taxonomical perspective, the genus only comprises the speciesSneathia sanguinegens. Numerous reports on a second species, ‘Sneathia amnii’, have been published, but the name has never been validated. The same is the case for ‘Leptotrichia amnionii’, which was previously shown to belong to the same species as ‘Sneathia amnii’. We studied strains DSM 16631^Tand DSM 16630, which have been identified and deposited as ‘Leptotrichia amnionii’ previously. At the time of isolation, these strains were found to be most closely related to, but clearly different from,Sneathia sanguinegensbased on 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities. Both strains proved to be almost indistinguishable from ‘Sneathia amnii’ based on molecular, morphological and physiological traits. The 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain DSM 16631^Twas assigned to the genusSneathiawith a sequence similarity of 95.47 % toSneathia sanguinegensCCUG 41628^T, followed by type strains ofCaviibacter abscessus(93.03 %),Oceanivirga salmonicida(92.68 %) andOceanivirga miroungae(91.97 %) as the next closely related members of theLeptotrichiaceae. The novel species was also clearly differentiated from other related taxa by core genome phylogeny, average nucleotide and amino acid identities,in silicoDNA–DNA hybridization and MALDI-TOF MS. With respect to chemotaxonomic and physiological patterns, strains DSM 16631^Tand DSM 16630 were again highly similar toSneathia sanguinegens. On the basis of these data, we propose the novel speciesSneathia vaginalissp. nov. with the type strain DSM 16631^T(=CCUG 52977^T=CCUG 52889A^T) and a second strain DSM 16630 (=CCUG 52976=CCUG 52888) that were both isolated from bloodstream infections in women with puerperal fever in France. The G+C content of the DNA of the type strain is 28.4 mol% and the genome size is 1.28 Mbp. Based on the observed extremely high similarities of genotypic and phenotypic traits of the novel proposed species to those reported for ‘Sneathia amnii’, we recommend using this new name in all further publications on this taxon.

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the causative agent of Johne's disease (JD) which affects mainly ruminants and is characterized by chronic diarrhea and emaciation. Johne's disease is highly prevalent in many countries around the world and leads to high economic losses associated with decreased production. Genotyping of the involved pathogen could be used in the study of population genetics, pathogenesis and molecular epidemiology including disease surveillance and outbreak investigation. Principally, researchers have first assumed the presence of two different MAP strains that are associated with the animal host species (cattle and sheep). However, nowadays MAP characterization depends mainly upon genetic testing using genetic markers such as insertion elements, repetitive sequences and single nucleotide polymorphisms. This work aims to provide an overview of the advances in molecular biological tools used for MAP typing in the last two decades, discuss how these methods have been used to address interesting epidemiological questions, and explore the future prospects of MAP molecular epidemiology given the ever decreasing costs of the high throughput sequencing technology.

From a phlegmon in a dog an aerobic and facultatively anaerobic, indole-, oxidase- and catalase-negative, non-motile bacterium was isolated in 2019 in Germany that stained Gram-negative and showed a pleomorphic, rod-shaped, non-spore-forming appearance. Based on the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses, strain IHIT1603-19(T) was assigned to the genus Streptobacillus with sequence similarities of 98.6, 98.0, 97.9, 97.1 and 94.4% to the type strains of Streptobacillus felis, Streptobacillus notomytis, Streptobacillus ratti, Streptobacillus moniliformis and Streptobacillus hongkongensis, respectively. Strain IHIT1603-19(T) could also clearly be differentiated from other Streptobacillus species by rpoB, groEL and recA gene, nucleotide and amino acid sequence analyses as well as by core genome phylogeny. Regarding DNA-DNA relatedness, strain IHIT1603-19(T) demonstrated an average nucleotide identity of 83.00 and 82.28% compared to S. fells 131000547(T) and S. moniliformis DSM 12112(T), respectively. Chemotaxonomic and physiological data of strain IHIT1603-19(T) were in congruence with other closely related members of the family Leptotrichiaceae, represented by highly similar enzyme profiles and fatty acid patterns. MALDI-TOF MS analysis also proved suitable in unequivocally discriminating strain INIT1603-19(T) from all currently described taxa of the genus Streptobacillus. On the basis of these data, we propose the novel species Streptobacillus canis sp. nov. with the type strain IHIT1603-19(T) (=DSM 110501(T)=CCUG 74118(T)=CIP 111795(T)). The G+C content of the DNA of the type strain is 26.6mol%, genome size is 1.60 Mbp.

Aims Development of a novel hierarchical MAP typing approach and characteristion of MAP field cultures in Central Germany. Methods and Results By combining single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit‐variable number tandem repeat (MIRU‐VNTR), we developed a highly discriminating and phylogenetically accurate hierarchical MAP typing approach. Moreover, a novel stepwise workflow was employed to reduce the number of SNP reactions required making the typing approach more affordable. MAP field cultures (n=142) from dairy herds in Central Germany were classified as cattle type and showed a high level of heterogeneity. Intra‐herd multiple genotypes were evident in (13‐25%) of the investigated herds. Conclusions The hierarchical MAP typing approach proved to be useful in fine discrimination between MAP cultures within limited geographical regions. This could potentially be used in unravelling MAP transmission chains in the respective regions. The observed heterogeneity in some herds is assumed to be due to either multiple introductions through inter‐herd trade or intra‐herd evolution over time. Significance and Impact of the Study Future MAP epidemiological studies will benefit from the advantages of the novel hierarchical typing approach. The SNP number reduction approach employed here could be extrapolated for other analogous pathogens.