Which bacteria cause brucellosis?

Different Brucella species are associated with animals such as cattle, goats, sheep, camels, pigs and dogs. People may be exposed through unpasteurised milk or cheese, contact with animal tissues or fluids, or inhaling contaminated material. The bacteria can enter through the mouth, eyes, broken skin or airways. Person-to-person spread is uncommon.

A person with brucellosis may develop fever, tiredness, joint pain, muscle aches or night sweats. These symptoms can have many causes; they do not by themselves identify brucellosis.

Tell a clinician about animal contact, work in farming or slaughter, hunting, laboratory exposure, travel, and any unpasteurised dairy foods. Testing may include a blood test, and the laboratory should know that brucellosis is being considered because handling specimens requires care.

If brucellosis is diagnosed, treatment uses a prescribed combination of antibiotics for a clinician-selected course. Take the medicines exactly as directed and complete the course unless the prescriber changes it.

Arrange medical assessment if fever, sweats, unusual fatigue or aches follow a relevant animal or food exposure, especially when symptoms persist or return. Seek urgent help for confusion, severe weakness, breathing difficulty, fainting or rapidly worsening illness.

Ask which exposure is most relevant, whether a blood test is appropriate now or needs repeating, how treatment will be monitored, and which dairy or animal-contact precautions apply at home and work.