Brucellosis
| Brucellosis | |
|---|---|
| Other names | undulant fever, undulating fever, Mediterranean fever, Malta fever, Cyprus fever, rock fever (Micrococcus melitensis) |
| Specialty | Infectious disease |
| Symptoms | fever, chills, loss of appetite, sweats, weakness, fatigue, joint pain, muscle pain, back pain, headache. |
| Complications | central nervous system infections (meningitis, encephalitis), inflammation and infection of the spleen and liver, infection and inflammation of the epididymus and testicles (epididymo-orchitis), arthritis, inflammation of the inner lining of the heart chambers (endocarditis). |
| Causes | Ingestion of bacteria within the genus Brucella |
| Diagnostic method | x-rays, computerized tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cerebrospinal fluid culture, echocardiography. |
| Prevention | avoid unpasteurized dairy foods, cook meat thoroughly, wear gloves, take safety precautions in high-risk workplaces, vaccinate domestic animals. |
| Treatment | antibiotics |
| Medication | doxycycline, rifampicin, aminoglycosides |
Brucellosis is a zoonosis spread primarily via ingestion of unpasteurized milk from infected animals. It is also known as undulant fever, Malta fever, and Mediterranean fever.
The bacteria causing this disease, Brucella, are small, Gram-negative, nonmotile, nonspore-forming, rod-shaped (coccobacilli) bacteria. They function as facultative intracellular parasites, causing chronic disease, which usually persists for life. Four species infect humans: B. abortus, B. canis, B. melitensis, and B. suis. B. abortus is less virulent than B. melitensis and is primarily a disease of cattle. B. canis affects dogs. B. melitensis is the most virulent and invasive species; it usually infects goats and occasionally sheep. B. suis is of intermediate virulence and chiefly infects pigs. Symptoms include profuse sweating and joint and muscle pain. Brucellosis has been recognized in animals and humans since the early 20th century.