Overview
Brucellosis (pronounced “bru-cell-OH-sis”) is a disease you get from the bacteria Brucella. It can cause vague symptoms like fever, joint pain and sweating that come and go over a long time.
Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease, meaning you get it from animals. It’s also sometimes called undulant fever, Malta fever, Mediterranean fever and many other names.
Who does brucellosis affect?
Brucellosis exists in most countries of the world. You’re at higher risk for a Brucella infection if you:
- Are a veterinarian or work with animals.
- Work on a dairy farm or ranch.
- Are a butcher, work in a slaughterhouse or handle raw meat.
- Hunt animals or field dress.
- Work in a lab that handles Brucella.
- Eat uncooked meat or unpasteurized milk products.
How common is brucellosis?
There are about 500,000 cases of brucellosis worldwide each year. Brucellosis is rare in the U.S., with only 100 to 200 cases each year.
What does brucellosis do to humans?
Brucella, the bacteria that causes brucellosis, gets into your body through your mouth, nose, eyes or a break in your skin. From there, it gets into your lymph nodes or tissues where it slowly multiplies. From there, it can infect almost any part of your body, including your heart, liver, brain and bones, and cause swelling and damage.
Symptoms
When to see a doctor
Complications
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- Heart failure.
- Some types of heart valve disease.
Prevention
- Control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
- Don't smoke or use tobacco.
- Eat a diet that's low in salt and saturated fat.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week unless your health care team says not to.
- Get good sleep. Adults should aim for 7 to 9 hours daily.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Reduce and manage stress.
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