Clinical and mechanistic insights into Brucella and viral co-infection.

Co-infection of Brucella and viruses represents an emerging clinical and epidemiological challenge. Recent evidence reveals that Brucella-viral co-infections are characterized by atypical clinical manifestations and increased diagnostic complexity. These dual infections involve intricate pathogen-host and pathogen-pathogen interactions: viruses enhance Brucella susceptibility by subverting innate and adaptive immune responses, while Brucella compromises host immunity to create a permissive microenvironment for viral persistence. Furthermore, co-infection synergistically exacerbates tissue damage, elevating disease severity. This review summarizes recently reported cases of Brucella-virus co-infections and their pathogenic mechanisms, aiming to advance our understanding of co-infection dynamics and provide foundational insights for elucidating pathogenesis and developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.