Facts About Brucellosis: CDC-OC
Article title: Facts About Brucellosis: CDC-OC
Conditions: Brucellosis
Source: CDC-OC
Brucellosis
March
13, 1998
Contact: Media Relations Division
(404) 639 3286
- Brucellosis, also known as "undulant fever" or "Bangs disease" is a
systemic infection. There are several strains of brucellosis and, more
recently, types infecting marine mammals have been identified.
- Symptoms of brucellosis infection in people include fever, night
sweats, undue fatigue, anorexia, weight loss, headache, and arthralgia.
In animals, the primary sign of infection in females is abortion and in
males, epididymitis.
- Worldwide, brucellosis remains a major source of disease in humans
and domesticated animals. B. abortus is the most widespread form
in the United States.
- Persons at high risk for vaccine-related infection are farmers,
veterinarians, and other animal health professionals due to needlesticks
or exposure to infected calves, placentas, blood, or amniotic fluids.
- Detection of possible human infection and recommendations for
treatment after exposure to RB51 have been complicated. Currently there
is no serologic test available for RB51. Secondly, the risk of disease
in humans is unknown and post exposure treatment of doxycycline and
rifampin is not valid because RB51 is resistant to rifampin.
- Human brucellosis can shift from an occupational disease to a
foodborne disease, most frequently affecting person who consume raw milk
and cheeses made with raw milk
- The Brucellosis Eradication Program was established to eradicate the
disease in the United States. From 1956 to 1998, the number of known
brucellosis-affected herds decreased from 124,000 to 15. However, bison
and elk in the northern Rocky Mountain states are reservoirs for the
diseases and pose a threat for reintroduction of brucellosis into
domestic livestock.
- CDC has established a registry of human exposures to the RB51
vaccine strain.
This page last reviewed
URL:
Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
Office of
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