Introduction and objective:
Brucella and Ochrobactrum are genetically-related strains of bacteria belonging to the same Alphaproteobacteria class, due to their evolutionary origin. However, the two strains are distinct species. Brucella is the genus of bacteria that causes the infectious disease called brucellosis. Ochrobactrum is a genus of bacteria that can usually act as opportunistic pathogens with low virulence, such as Ochrobactrum anthropi. The aim of the review is analysis of available knowledge indicating similarities as well as differences between both bacteria.

Review methods:
Analysis of recent literature indicates that combining Ochrobactrum and Brucella genus causes issues, resulting in difficulties in brucellosis research and diagnosis. Distinguishing between these two types of bacteria can be time-consuming and costly, which consequently leads to delayed development of research methods, medicines, as well as vaccines against brucellosis. The following analysis draws on a publication with national and global reach.

Brief description of the state of knowledge:
Currently, there is a dispute among taxonomists regarding the combination of the genus Brucella with Ochrobactrum. The idea of the combination of these two genus was based on the results of genetic analysis. However, the following assumptions do not take into account significant differences in pathogenicity, morphology, or phenotypic characteristics, which should not be ignored.

Summary:
Combining the Brucella and Ochrobactrum genus may lead to misidentification, which can result in inadequate treatment or delayed diagnosis of brucellosis. In the case of brucellosis, delays in diagnosis and treatment can lead to severe complications, or even death.