Notifiable Diseases On-Line

BRUCELLOSIS

AGENT OF DISEASE:

Brucellosis is caused by the bacterium, Brucella, which lives naturally in animals: in cattle as Brucella abortus, in sheep and goats as Brucella melitensis, in pigs as Brucella suis and in dogs as Brucella canis.

WORLDWIDE DISTRIBUTION:

Brucellosis is not common in Canada. The majority of cases are reported from the Mediterranean region of southern Europe, and north and eastern Africa. The illness also occurs in substantial numbers in the Middle East, India, central Asia, Mexico and Central and South America.

SYMPTOMS:

Symptoms usually appear within 5 to 60 days after exposure and include fever, headache, weakness, profuse sweating, chills, depression, weight loss and generalized aching. Sometimes infection of organs, such as the liver and spleen, can occur. Untreated infection may lead to complications in bones and joints and in the genital and urinary tracts. Relapses are common, when all or some of the original symptoms return. If joint problems continue to recur, arthritis is a possible long-term side effect.

PERIOD OF COMMUNICABILITY:

There is no evidence of person-to-person transmission.

HOW IT IS TRANSMITTED:

Infection is acquired by direct contact with infected animal body fluids and tissues: blood, urine, vaginal discharges, aborted fetuses and placentas. Infection may also be acquired through ingestion of raw milk and dairy products from infected cows, sheep and goats. Airborne infection of animals may occur in pens and stables; airborne infection of humans may occur in laboratories and slaughter houses.

PREVENTION:

1. All milk and dairy products from cows, sheep, and goats should be pasteurized. If pasteurization is impossible, milk should be boiled for personal consumption.
2. Travellers to endemic areas should be informed about the risk of brucellosis from drinking and eating unpasteurized milk and dairy products.
3. In regions where the prevalence of brucellosis is high, farmers and slaughterhouse workers should be aware of the risks of handling animal tissue, and should be instructed in infection control practices to minimize risk of exposure.
4. Hunters should wear protective clothing and gloves when handling a kill. Discarded animal remains should be buried.