Brucellosis

Causes of brucellosis

It's mainly caught by:

• drinking milk that hasn't been pasteurised (heat-treated to kill bacteria)
• eating dairy products like cheese and ice cream made from unpasteurised milk

You can also catch it from:

• eating raw or undercooked meat
• contact with bodily fluids of farm animals such as cows, goats, sheep and pigs

Catching brucellosis in this way is very rare.

Following a testing and control programme in place for 50 years, Northern Ireland was awarded ‘Officially Brucellosis Free’  status on 6 October 2015.

There is still risk of exposure from animals in some other countries.

It's very rare to catch brucellosis from other people.

Symptoms of brucellosis

Symptoms may appear suddenly over one to two days or gradually over several weeks.

Symptoms of brucellosis are like the flu and include:

• a high temperature of 38 C or above
• loss of appetite
• sweating
• headaches
• extreme tiredness
• back and joint pain

When to see your GP

You should see your GP if you have symptoms of brucellosis and:

• you've had unpasteurised milk or dairy products
• you've eaten raw or undercooked meat
• you work closely with farm animals

Tell your GP if you have recently travelled overseas.

Treatment of brucellosis

Brucellosis is usually diagnosed using a blood test.

The infection is treated with a course of antibiotics for at least six weeks. It's important to finish your course even if you start to feel better.

You should make a full recovery. The infection is unlikely to return.

How to avoid getting brucellosis

There's no human vaccine against brucellosis, but there are things you can do to reduce your chances of getting it, including:

• avoiding contact with livestock and wild animals while travelling in places where brucellosis is a problem
• wearing protective clothing if working with animals
• putting a plaster on any wounds before touching animals
• avoid drinking unpasteurised milk
• avoid eating dairy products like cheese and ice cream made from unpasteurised milk
• avoid eating raw or undercooked meat

More useful links

• How to use your health services