NewsReferenceSlideshowsQuizzesVideosQuestions&AnswersWebMDRxSavingsCardCoronavirus(COVID-19)CBDOilKetoDietHepatitisCDiabetesWarningSignsRheumatoidArthritisMorning-AfterPillBreastCancerScreeningPsoriaticArthritisSymptomsHeartFailureMultipleMyelomaTypesofCrohn'sDiseaseAtoZGuidesReferenceReviewedbyJenniferRobinson, MDonDecember16,2020InthisArticleWhatCausesBrucellosis?CanIGetBrucellosisFromMyDog?WhatAretheRiskFactorsforBrucellosis?WhatAretheSymptomsofBrucellosis?HowIsBrucellosisDiagnosed?HowIsBrucellosisTreated?WhatAretheComplicationsofBrucellosis?HowCanIPreventBrucellosis?BrucellosisisaninfectiousdiseasecausedbyatypeofbacteriacalledBrucella.Thebacteriacanspreadfromanimalstohumans.ThereareseveraldifferentstrainsofBrucellabacteria.Sometypesareseenincows.Othersoccurindogs,pigs,sheep,goats,andcamels.Recently,scientistshaveseennewstrainsintheredfoxandcertainmarineanimals,includingseals.Brucellainanimalscannotbecured.BrucellosisisrareintheU.S.becauseofeffectiveanimaldiseasecontrolprograms.Fewerthan200peoplegetsickwiththediseaseeachyearintheU.S.Itismostoftenseeninthespringandsummermonthsin:TexasCaliforniaVirginiaFloridaBrucellosisisconsideredasignificanthealththreatinotherpartsoftheworld.Thediseasehasbeenreportedinmorethanahalf-millionpeopleeachyearin100countries,accordingtotheWorldHealthOrganization.WhatCausesBrucellosis?BrucellosisinhumansoccurswhenapersoncomesintocontactwithananimaloranimalproductinfectedwiththeBrucellabacteria.ContinuedVeryrarely,thebacteriamayspreadfrompersontoperson.Breastfeedingmomswithbrucellosismaypassthebacteriatotheirbaby.Brucellamayalsobespreadthroughsexualcontact.Thebacteriacanenteryourbody:ThroughacutorscratchintheskinWhenyoubreatheincontaminatedair(rare)Whenyoueatordrinksomethingcontaminatedwiththebacteria,suchasunpasteurizedmilkorundercookedmeatFourtypesofBrucellabacteriacausethemajorityofbrucellosisinfectionsinhumans:B.melitensis.Thistypecausesmostcasesofhumanbrucellosisandismainlyfoundinsheepandgoats.Itismostoftenseenin:SpainGreeceLatinAmer