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| Brucellosis |
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Patient Handouts
What is brucellosis?
Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria of the genus Brucella. It is a disease that is usually transmitted from handling infected animals or consuming contaminated milk products.
How does a person get brucellosis?
There are three ways people can become infected or exposed through deliberate release.
- Ingestion - eating or drinking unpasteurized milk or dairy products that have been contaminated with Brucella.
- Inhalation - breathing in the organism. This is not a common route of infection but can be a hazard for people working in laboratories where the organism is cultured.
- Wound contamination - bacteria can enter the body through skin wounds. This can be a problem for hunters, people working in slaughterhouses or meat packing plants, or veterinarians.
Where can brucellosis usually be found?
Brucellosis can be found worldwide but it is more common in countries that do not have domestic animal health programs and standardized pasteurization programs. Areas that are currently considered high risk include the Mediterranean Basin, South and Central America, Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and the Middle East.
What are the symptoms of brucellosis?
Brucellosis can cause a range of flu-like symptoms and may include fever, sweats, headache, back pains and physical weakness. With time, the infection might spread to the bones, joints, kidneys, brain or the lining of the heart. In rare cases, patients might have long term fevers that come and go, joint pain and fatigue.
Can brucellosis be spread from person to person?
Brucellosis is rarely transmitted from person to person. There are reports of transmission via breast-feeding and sexual contact.
How is it diagnosed?
Your doctor can tell if you might have Brucellosis based on how you were exposed to the disease. Brucellosis can be diagnosed in a laboratory by finding Brucella organisms in samples of blood or bone marrow.
What is the treatment?
Treatment includes a combination of antibiotics for 6 weeks to prevent recurring infections. Recovery usually takes a few weeks to several months. While this infection may take a while to recover from, very few people (less than two percent) die from it.
Can it be prevented?
Milk is pasteurized to eliminate the most common source of infection in other countries. When traveling, do not consume unpasteurized milk, cheese or ice cream. If you work with live animals, extra protective precautions should be taken.
Could it be used for bioterrorism?
Yes. Brucella is a biological agent that could be used for bioterrorism. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention place Brucella as a "class B" or second highest priority agent.
Where can I find more information?
Additional Brucellosis information may be obtained at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Posted 3/29/05
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