Overview
Brucellosis is a bacterial infection that can spread from animals to humans. It is commonly transmitted through the consumption of raw or unpasteurized dairy products, but can also be spread through the air or direct contact with infected animals. Symptoms include fever, joint pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, sweats, weakness, and headache. The infection can be treated with antibiotics, but it may take several weeks to months and can sometimes recur. Brucellosis affects hundreds of thousands of people and animals worldwide, particularly in areas with livestock or where raw dairy products are consumed. To prevent brucellosis, it is recommended to avoid unpasteurized dairy products and take precautions when working with animals or in a laboratory.
Understanding the disease
Symptoms
Symptoms of brucellosis may include fever, joint pain, fatigue, chills, loss of appetite, sweats, weakness, headache, and inflammation of the inner lining of the heart chambers (endocarditis). Additional symptoms can include arthritis, inflammation of the joints in the spine, sacroiliitis, and testicle infection (epididymo-orchitis). Symptoms may appear anytime from a few days to a few months after infection and can recur or persist for years in some cases. To see a doctor, consult if you develop a rapidly rising fever, muscle aches, unusual weakness, or have any risk factors for the disease, or if you have a persistent fever.
Risk Factors
Risk factors for developing brucellosis include:
- Working with animals or coming into contact with infected blood. This includes professionals such as veterinarians, dairy farmers, ranchers, slaughterhouse workers, hunters, and microbiologists.
- Traveling to areas where brucellosis is more common, such as Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, Mexico, South and Central America, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.
- Consuming unpasteurized dairy products, as the infection can be transmitted through raw milk, cheese, and ice cream.
- Inhaling contaminated air, which can occur in farming, hunting, or laboratory settings.
- Touching blood or body fluids from infected animals, as the bacteria can enter the body through cuts or wounds. However, normal contact with pets does not typically result in infection. Individuals with weakened immune systems should avoid handling animals known to have the disease. Brucellosis is generally not spread from person to person, but in rare cases, it can be transmitted through sexual activity, contaminated blood, or bone marrow transfusions.
Development
Brucellosis is a bacterial infection that can develop in humans through various ways, mainly by consuming unpasteurized dairy products, coming into contact with infected animals or their body fluids, or inhaling contaminated air. The bacteria can also spread through direct contact with infected animals or laboratory exposure. Brucellosis symptoms can resemble the flu, and they may include fever, joint pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, sweats, weakness, headache, and inflammation in different parts of the body. Long-term complications can affect the heart, liver, reproductive system, and central nervous system. If you develop a rapidly rising fever, muscle aches, or unusual weakness with any risk factors for brucellosis, it's essential to see a doctor.
Assessment and Diagnosis
Triage
You should see a doctor if brucellosis is suspected when you develop a rapidly rising fever, muscle aches or unusual weakness and have any risk factors for the disease, or if you have a persistent fever. Additionally, if you experience any of the long-term signs and symptoms such as fatigue, recurrent fevers, inflammation of the inner lining of the heart chambers (endocarditis), joint inflammation (arthritis), arthritis of the spinal bones (spondylitis), or arthritis of joints where the spine and pelvis connect (sacroiliitis), you should seek medical attention.
Diagnosis
To diagnose brucellosis, doctors usually test blood or bone marrow for the presence of the brucella bacteria or test blood for antibodies to the bacteria. Additional tests may include X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, cerebrospinal fluid culture, and echocardiography. If you suspect you have brucellosis, it's important to see a doctor who can help evaluate your symptoms and determine the appropriate diagnostic tests.
Management and Treatment
Complications
Potential complications of brucellosis include inflammation of the inner lining of the heart chambers (endocarditis), inflammation and infection of the spleen and liver, central nervous system infections such as meningitis or encephalitis, and chronic brucellosis with symptoms like fatigue, recurrent fevers, joint inflammation (arthritis), arthritis of the spinal bones (spondylitis), and arthritis of joints where the spine and pelvis connect (sacroiliitis).
Prevention
Brucellosis can be prevented by taking certain precautions. To reduce the risk of getting brucellosis, avoid unpasteurized dairy foods, as most cases of the disease are linked to consumption of raw dairy products. When working with animals or in a laboratory setting, take appropriate precautions to prevent contact with infected blood or tissues. Additionally, people who work with animals or in occupations that place them at higher risk of exposure should be cautious and follow proper safety protocols.
Home Remedies
It is important to seek medical attention and follow the treatment plan provided by a qualified healthcare professional for brucellosis. Antibiotics are the primary treatment for brucellosis, and home remedies are generally not recommended or effective in managing this infection.
Treatment
Brucellosis can be treated with antibiotics. The most commonly used antibiotics for brucellosis are doxycycline, rifampin, and streptomycin. Treatment usually lasts several weeks to months, and in some cases, the infection may recur. It's important to complete the full course of antibiotics prescribed by a doctor, even after symptoms have subsided, to prevent re-infection.