Human Brucellosis

Description

Brucellosis is a potentially fatal zoonotic disease of bacterial origin. Cases of Brucellosis occur worldwide. Four species of Brucella are pathogenic in humans, each with a natural host animal: B. abortus (cattle), B. suis (pigs), B. melitensis (goats and sheep) and B. canis (dogs).

References

Young, E. J. (1995) An Overview of Human Brucellosis Clinical Infectious Diseases 21, No. 2 pp. 283-289

• • Transmission via contact with secretions from infected animals
  • Routes of infection: skin abrasions, inhalation, ingestion
  • Unpasteurised milk source of infection
  • Undulant fever - fluctuating pyrexia, malaise, fatigue, muscle and joint pains, osteomyelitis
  • Can become chronic
  • B melitensis and B. suis cause most severe infections
  • Antimicrobials