Cause Brucellosis is caused by the bacteria Brucella. This bacteria infects domesticated animals. The animal that causes Brucellosis the most in Australia is infected cattle but also sheep or goats.

Conditions Humans get Brucellosis in one of three ways: · Eating or drinking something that is contaminated with Brucella · Breathing in the organism · Or having the bacteria enter the body through skin wounds

The most common way to get Brucellosis is by eating or drinking contaminated dairy products. When sheep, goats or cows are infected their milk is contaminated with Brucella. If the milk from the animal is not pasteurized the bacteria Brucella can be transmitted to people who drink or eat the dairy products. Breathing in Brucella organisms is not a common way to get infected, but it can be a big problem for people in some occupations. Infected skin wounds may be a problem for people working in slaughterhouses or meat packing plants. Hunters may be infected through skin wounds or by accidentally eating the bacteria after cleaning what they have hunted.

Treatment There are Antibiotics to stop brucellosis avalible such as: · Tetracyclin · Chloramphenicol · Rifampicin · The aminoglycosides streptomycin · Gentamicin These are effective against Brucella bacteria. But, you have to use more than one antibiotic for lots of weeks because the bacteria incubates the cells.

Symptoms Brucellosis symptoms include: · Inconstant Fevers · Sweating · Weakness · Anorexia · Headaches · Depression · Muscular and Bodily Pain. In later stages, Brucellosis can cause: · Loss of appetite · Abdominal pains · Headache · Backache · Joint pain · Weakness · Irritability · Insomnia (bad sleep) Patients recover in about 2–5 weeks. Rarely, complications can develop. Such as: · Abscesses (areas of pus) within the liver or spleen · Enlargement of the liver, spleen, or lymph nodes · Inflammation and infection in the Heart, Brain and brain lining, Bones and the spine. Brucellosis can also cause a high rate of miscarriage during early pregnancy in infected women.

Prevention To prevent Brucella you must: · Not consume unpasteurized milk, cheese, or ice cream (dairy products) especially when traveling. · If you are not sure that the dairy product is pasteurized don't eat it. · Hunters and animal herdsman should use rubber gloves when handling the intestines of animals.