What is Brucellosis Disease?

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Brucellosis Disease Latest News

Recently, an eight-year-old girl from Kottakkal in Malappuram district of Kerala died after undergoing around two months of treatment for brucellosis.

About Brucellosis Disease

It is a bacterial disease caused by various Brucella species, which mainly infect cattle, swine, goats, sheep and dogs.
Humans acquire it through direct contact with infected animals, by eating or drinking contaminated animal products or by inhaling airborne agents.
Most cases are caused by ingesting unpasteurised milk or cheese from infected goats or sheep.
Human-to-human transmission is very rare, says the WHO.
Symptoms of Brucellosis Disease
- Fever, weakness, weight loss, and general a feeling of discomfort are some of the common symptoms.
- In many patients, they can be mild and may not get diagnosed at all. The incubation period can vary from one week to two months, but it usually lasts between two and four weeks.
Who is at risk?
- It affects people of all ages.
- The WHO says that people who work with animals and are in contact with their blood, placenta, foetuses and uterine secretions have an increased risk of contracting the disease.
- This method of transmission primarily affects farmers, butchers, hunters, veterinarians and laboratory personnel.
Treatment for Brucellosis Disease: It is usually treated with antibiotics.
Prevention of Brucellosis Disease: Vaccination of cattle, goats and sheep is among the prevention options. Pasteurisation of milk for direct consumption and for creating derivatives such as cheese is an important step to prevent its transmission from animals to humans.

Brucellosis Disease FAQs

Q1: What is the cause of the disease brucellosis?

Ans: Brucellosis is a bacterial disease caused by various Brucella species

Q2: How to diagnose Brucella?

Ans: Doctors usually confirm a diagnosis of brucellosis by testing blood or bone marrow for the brucella bacteria or by testing blood for antibodies to the bacteria.

Q3: What is the Rose Bengal test?

Ans: The Rose Bengal is a slide agglutination test for the qualitative and semi-quantitative detection of antibodies anti-Brucella in human and animal serum.

Source: TH