The genus Brucella is a group of intracellular bacterial pathogens documented to cause brucellosis, a zoonotic disease of worldwide concern. In the past decade, reported cases of atypical Brucella species in amphibians have increased. These species are considered atypical based on their tropism, phenotypic characteristics, and phylogeny differences. Atypical Brucella species can be misdiagnosed due to their similarity to classical Brucella species and closely related genera. Recent literature has provided evidence for the zoonotic potential of atypical Brucella linked to amphibians. Therefore, understanding the prevalence of these atypical Brucella species in captive amphibian populations is significant for amphibian health, conservation, and public health. This pilot study evaluated the prevalence of atypical Brucella species in a population of marine toads (Rhinella marina) using a validated pan-Brucella qualitative PCR. Samples were analyzed from 56 asymptomatic wild-caught marine toads from Miami, FL, USA, using skin swab samples. Brucella DNA was not detected in any of the skin swab samples analyzed. This pilot study represents a viable non-invasive sampling technique and PCR assay for rapidly screening populations of amphibians for the presence of atypical Brucella species.

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