Causes Brucellosis (undulant fever)
Primarily animal pathogen
Localise in reproductive organs
Causes sterility and abortion in animal.
Transmission to human - direct contact with infected reproductive tissues (rarely, meat) or ingestion of unpasteurised milk or milk products.
Enters through cuts and abrasions in skin or through GI tract or through inhalation.
Organisms are carried to and multiply in reticuloendothelial system.
Survive and multiply inside phagocytes
Lipopolysaccharide - major virulence factor/major cell wall antigen
Incubation - 5 days to several months (typically several weeks)
Symptoms - nonspecific, flu-like
Onset can be abrupt or insidious.
Subclinical infections can occur.
Aerobic, facultative
Intracellular parasite
Unencapsulated
Serologic tests for agglutinating antibodies
Culture - require 1 month before declared negative
First line: Doxycycline and gentamicin (or streptomycin)
Prolonged treatment - 6 weeks necessary to prevent relapse and complication.
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| Created | 20040404 |