It is a contagious, costly disease of ruminant (E.g. cattle, bison and cervids) animals that also affects humans. Although brucellosis can attack other animals, its main threat is to cattle, bison, cervids (E.g. elk and deer), and swine. The disease is also known as contagious abortion or Bang's disease.
Brucellae are Gram-negative coccobacilli (short rods) measuring about 0.6 to 1.5 μm by 0.5-0.7 μm. They are non-sporing and lack capsules or flagella and, therefore, are non-motile.
Abstract. Brucellosis is an important livestock and human disease in many developing countries for its cause of reproductive disease, characterized by abortion, retained fetal membranes and impaired fertility.
Brucellosis affects males and females in equal numbers. The disorder is rare in the United States since pasteurization of milk is routine and cattle are vaccinated against this disease.
Brucellosis is a contagious, infectious, and communicable disease, primarily affecting cattle, bison, and swine, and is caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella. Brucella abortus (B. abortus) primarily affects bovine species; however, goats, sheep, and horses are also susceptible.
While brucellosis is rare in the United States, it is more common in other parts of the world, especially: Southern Europe, including Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Southern France. Eastern Europe. Mexico, South and Central America.
Although brucellosis can be found worldwide, it is more common in countries that do not have effective public health and domestic animal health programs. Areas currently listed as high risk are: the Mediterranean Basin (Portugal, Spain, Southern France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, North Africa)
Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that severely hinders livestock productivity and human health worldwide. The burden that the disease places specifically on low-income countries has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to classify it as one of the world's leading 'neglected zoonotic diseases' [1].
Brucellosis again came to the attention of medical officers of the British army on the island of Malta following the Crimean War. The genus Brucella is named for Major-General Sir David Bruce, who in 1886 led the Malta Fever Commission that identified Brucella melitensis as the organism responsible for the disease.
Thoroughly clean and disinfect areas exposed to infected animals, their urine, blood, milk, or discharges. Keep sick animals away from other animals to avoid spreading the disease. In the United States, a vaccination program is used to control brucellosis in cattle.
The disease we now know as brucellosis was first discovered in the 1850s in Malta. It came to the attention of British medical officers serving on the island after the Crimean War. It was easy to eliminate the disease in British servicemen, but very difficult to reach Maltese citizens.
Rubella (German Measles, Three-Day Measles)
Brucellosis, also known as “undulant fever”, “Mediterranean fever” or “Malta fever” is a zoonosis and the infection is almost invariably transmitted by direct or indirect contact with infected animals or their products. It affects people of all age groups and of both sexes.
Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by Brucella species. It is known by many other names, including remitting fever, undulant fever, Mediterranean fever, Maltese fever, Gibraltar fever, Crimean fever, goat fever, and Bang disease.
Females may fail to get pregnant or may lose their litters in late pregnancy (45-55 days). After abortion, females may have a prolonged vaginal discharge. In males, infertility can result from brucellosis affecting various reproductive organs including the prostate, testicles, and epididymis.
Person-to-person spread of brucellosis is extremely rare. Infected mothers who are breast-feeding may transmit the infection to their infants. Sexual transmission has been rarely reported. While uncommon, transmission may also occur via tissue transplantation or blood transfusions.
One of the reasons why brucellosis still remains an elusive disease in humans concerns weaknesses in our understanding of the host–pathogen interaction.
Only a few countries in the world are free from the infectious agent and are mainly in developed regions in Western and Northern Europe, Canada, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand (1). The human brucellosis, also known as undulant fever or Malta fever, was first recognized in Malta during the 1850s.
It is a contagious, costly disease of ruminant (E.g. cattle, bison and cervids) animals that also affects humans. Although brucellosis can attack other animals, its main threat is to cattle, bison, cervids (E.g. elk and deer), and swine.
Over 500,000 new human cases of brucellosis—a bacterial zoonosis—are reported worldwide each year.
Death from brucellosis is rare, occurring in no more than 2% of all cases. Generally, the antibiotics doxycycline and rifampin are recommended in combination for a minimum of 6-8 weeks.
There are two popular vaccines against animal brucellosis. Live attenuated Brucella abortus strain 19 (S19 vaccine) is the first effective and most extensively used vaccine for the prevention of brucellosis in cattle.
*Three types of the bacteria that cause brucellosis – Brucella abortus, Brucella melitensis and Brucella suis – are designated as select agents. This means that they have the potential to be developed as bioterrorism agents due to their ability to undergo aerosolization.