What is Brucellosis?
Brucellosis is an infectious disease that occurs from contact with animals carrying Brucella bacteria; it spreads from animals to humans. There are several different strains of Brucella bacteria. Sometimes they are seen in cows, dogs, pigs, sheep, goats and camels.
How brucellosis is transmitted from animals to humans?
Brucellosis is a systemic infectious disease transmitted from certain animals to humans.
• Raw dairy products.
• Cut or scratch on the skin.
• Breathing in contaminated air.
• Eat or drink something containing contaminated bacteria.
• Work on a farm, as a slaughterhouse worker.
• Living in the Indian subcontinent
What are the signs and symptoms of Brucellosis?
When a patient starts noticing such symptoms, it indicates the presence of Brucellosis:
• Fever
• Malaise
• Chills
• Sweating
• Myalgias
• Tiredness
• Arthralgias
• Back pain
• A headache
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Constipation.
• Abdominal pain
• Sleep disturbance
• Cough
• Testicular pain
• Skin rash.
• Depression
• Arthritis
• Spinal tenderness
• Splenomegaly
• Jaundice
• Central nervous system (CNS)
• Cardiac murmur
• Pneumonia
How is brucellosis diagnosed?
To confirm a diagnosis of brucellosis test a sample of blood or bone marrow for the brucella bacteria or antibodies.
• Blood culture.
• Bone marrow culture.
• Clean catch urine culture.
• CSF culture.
• Serology.
• Plain x-ray.
• CT or MRI scanning.
• Liver and bone marrow biopsy.
Can brucellosis kill you?
If the disease remains untreated complications may occur. These are drugs that can stop the infection. The patient usually needs to take them for 6 weeks or longer. If this illness is not treated or comes back, you could have serious problems in your bones, joints, or heart.
Can you die from brucellosis?
Death from brucellosis is rare. Most people with brucellosis are expected to survive the disease, especially if a person doesn’t have complications.
Can brucellosis be spread from person to person?
Person-to-person spread of brucellosis is very rare. If infected mothers who are breast-feeding may transmit the infection to their infants. Sexual transmission is reported extremely rare.
How to prevent Brucellosis?
• Wear gloves if you work in the animal processing industry.
• Proper medication management.
• Education, protection clothing, adequate ventilation and disinfection of premises and safe disposal.
• Proper vaccination of animals.
• Pasteurization of milk.
• Avoid raw, uncooked or undercooked meat.
What are the complications of Brucellosis?
• Endocarditis.
• Sacroiliitis.
• Osteomyelitis.
• Epididymo-orchitis.
• Thrombocytopenic purpura.
• Cerebellar ataxia.
• Spinal syndrome.
• Hepatitis.
• Chronic fatigue.
• Abortion.
• Congenital and neonatal infection.
• Meningitis.
