Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42598836›Full record

ArticleZoonoses and public health2026

Brucella abortus RB51 Persistent Infection and Milk Shedding in Vaccinated Dairy Cattle: A Public Health Risk.

Elizabeth S Hines, Sara F Margrey, Stephanie W Cox, Christine Quance, Tyler C Thacker, Patricia L Collins, Susan Rollo, Leslie L Bulaga-Seraphin, Aimee Hunt, Gary Stevens and 6 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Zoonoses and public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors.

Elizabeth S HinesVirginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1181-2827
Sara F MargreyUSDA FSIS, Office of Field Operations, Duvall Circuit-Denver District, 1 Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8368-9096
Stephanie W CoxUSDA APHIS Veterinary Services, Field Operations, Field Epidemiology Investigation Services, Columbia, South Carolina, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6927-5848
Christine QuanceUSDA APHIS Veterinary Services, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, Iowa, USA.
Tyler C ThackerUSDA APHIS Veterinary Services, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, Iowa, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6779-7649
Patricia L CollinsUSDA APHIS Veterinary Services, Field Operations Texas, Austin, Texas, USA.
Susan RolloTexas Animal Health Commission, Austin, Texas, USA.
Leslie L Bulaga-SeraphinUSDA APHIS Veterinary Services, Field Operations, Robbinsville, New Jersey, USA.
Aimee HuntUSDA APHIS Veterinary Services, Ruminant Health Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Gary StevensUSDA APHIS Veterinary Services, Field Operations, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
Kyran CadmusUSDA APHIS Veterinary Services, Field Operations, Lakewood, Colorado, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7456-7006
Maria NegronCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5238-6847
Grishma KharodCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
Rebekah TillerCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0742-3279
Suelee Robbe-AustermanUSDA APHIS Veterinary Services, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames, Iowa, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3794-3040
Jason E LombardUSDA APHIS Veterinary Services, Field Operations, Field Epidemiology Investigation Services, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4465-4797

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionBrucellosis, caused by a group of bacteria within the genus Brucella, is a zoonotic disease of significant public health concern. The RB51 strain vaccine is used to combat cattle brucellosis but has potential health consequences for exposed humans.

methodsA retrospective review of NVSL's records prior to 2021 allowed identification of six cases of RB51 strain Brucella in the milk of dairy cattle through culture, followed up by PCR and whole genome sequencing (WGS).

resultsSix properly vaccinated dairy heifer calves actively shed strain RB51 in their milk as adults, years after vaccination. Two of these cows are linked to three human strain RB51 brucellosis cases (one cow to one human, one cow to two humans). All human cases were detected following consumption of unpasteurised ('raw') dairy products, highlighting the risk of raw dairy consumption.

conclusionsThese cases demonstrate that milk-borne RB51 strain Brucella has been responsible for multiple human cases of Brucella. Dairy products from cows vaccinated with RB51 should not be consumed raw. The continued and widespread use of the RB51 vaccine should be evaluated critically, and authorities and veterinarians should revisit regulations and vaccination practices to ensure they are epidemiologically justified, particularly in regions or herds without documented brucellosis risk.

Indexed as

Brucella abortusBrucella VaccineBrucellosisBrucellosis, BovineMilkAnimalsBacterial SheddingCattleFemaleHumansPublic HealthRetrospective StudiesVaccinationZoonosesBrucella VaccineBrucella abortusbrucellosisdairyrawRB51unpasteurisedvaccine

Identifiers

PMID42598836
PMCPMC13633443

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.