Brucellosis is a bacterial disease that can be transmitted between humans and animals, with cows, dogs, sheep, and goats being at risk. It can be contracted through contaminated animal products, breathing in the bacteria, or an open wound. Symptoms include fever, malaise, and headache. Treatment is difficult, and prevention methods include vaccines for animals and pasteurization of dairy products.
Brucellosis is an infectious bacterial disease caused by the Brucella bacterium. It is also zoonotic, meaning it can be transmitted between humans and animals, with cows, dogs, sheep and goats being at risk of infection. Thanks to improved sanitation and sterilization, brucellosis is relatively rare in humans and vaccines are used to prevent it in many farm animals, but cases and outbreaks do occur from time to time.
To contract this disease, one must be exposed to the bacteria in some way. One of the most common ways to contract the disease is from eating contaminated animal products such as dairy products and meat, but it can also be contracted by breathing in the bacteria or if the bacteria is introduced into an open wound. Symptoms include fever, malaise and headache, and in animals, newly infected individuals often experience miscarriages.
Brucellosis is sometimes called “Bang’s disease,” after veterinarian Bernhard Bang, who isolated the bacterium responsible in 1897. It’s also called hoofed fever, Gibraltar fever, Malta fever, and rock fever. Because the symptoms are quite general and difficult to pin down, it sometimes takes a while to arrive at a correct diagnosis, especially in areas where the disease is uncommon. As a result, it’s important to disclose information about your eating and travel habits when you go to the doctor about a general illness, as this can help narrow down the cause of the problem.
Brucellosis is very difficult to treat because the bacteria are quite stubborn. A variety of antibiotics can be used in a course of treatment, with periodic testing to see if the bacteria are still present. The death rate for the condition is actually relatively low; most people who die from the infection do so because the bacteria infect the valves of the heart. However, since the condition is unpleasant and uncomfortable, seeking treatment is a good idea.
In animals such as cattle, brucellosis can be prevented with the use of vaccines. This has reduced the overall infection rate, as animals cannot pass the infection on if they don’t have it. The use of pasteurization to process dairy products has also helped reduce the risk, as have guidelines on cooking meat that emphasize safe cooking temperatures. However, the disease is endemic in parts of the Mediterranean and in developing countries, which is a good thing to keep in mind when travelling.
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