Brucellosis


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Important
It is possible that the main title of the report Brucellosis is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report.


Synonyms


  • Bang Disease
  • Brucellemia
  • Brucelliasis
  • Cyprus Fever
  • Febris Melitensis
  • Febris Sudoralis
  • Febris Undulans
  • Fievre Caprine
  • Gibraltar Fever
  • Goat Fever
  • Maltese Fever
  • Mediterranean Fever, Nonfamilial
  • Melitensis Septicemia
  • Melitococcosis
  • Neapolitan Fever
  • Phthisis

Disorder Subdivisions


  • Acute Brucellosis
  • Subacute Brucellosis
  • Chronic Brucellosis
  • Undulant Fever
  • Localized Brucellosis

General Discussion


Brucellosis is an infectious disease that affects livestock and may be transmitted to humans. It is rare in the United States, but occurs more frequently in other parts of the world. The disorder is caused by one of four different species of bacteria that belong to the genus Brucella. Initial symptoms of infection may be nonspecific including fevers, muscle pain, headache, loss of appetite, profuse sweating, and physical weakness. In some cases, the symptoms occur suddenly (acute), whereas, in others, symptoms may develop over the course of a few months. If brucellosis is not treated, the disease may take months to resolve once appropriate therapy is begun. Brucellosis may be confined to a certain area of the body (local) or have serious widespread complications that affect various organ systems of the body including the central nervous system. Brucellosis may be prevented if people drink only pasteurized cow and goat's milk. Pasteurization kills the bacteria that cause the disease. However, farmers and people exposed to butchered meat may also be affected by brucellosis.


Resources


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30333
Tel: (404)639-3534
Tel: (800)311-3435
Email: http://www.cdc.gov/netinfo.htm
Internet: http://www.cdc.gov/

NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
6610 Rockledge Drive
MSC 6612
Bethesda, MD 20892-6612
Tel: (301)496-5717
Fax: (301)402-3573
TDD: (800)877-8339
Internet: http://www.niaid.nih.gov/

World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Americas (AMRO)
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
525 23rd Street NW
Washington, DC 20037
Tel: (202)974-3000
Fax: (202)974-3663
Email: postmaster@paho.org
Internet: http://www.who.ch/

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Inquiry & Consumer Information
Office of Inquiry and Consumer Information
5600 Fisher Lane
Room 12-A-40
Rockville, MD 20857
Tel: (301)827-4420
Tel: (888)463-6332
Internet: http://www.fda.gov/fdahomepage.html


For a Complete Report


This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. ® (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be obtained for a small fee by visiting the NORD website. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational treatments (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, see http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html

The information provided in this report is not intended for diagnostic purposes. It is provided for informational purposes only. NORD recommends that affected individuals seek the advice or counsel of their own personal physicians.

It is possible that the title of this topic is not the name you selected. Please check the Synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and Disorder Subdivision(s) covered by this report.

This disease entry is based upon medical information available through the date at the end of the topic. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current information about this disorder.

For additional information and assistance about rare disorders, please contact the National Organization for Rare Disorders at P.O. Box 1968, Danbury, CT 06813-1968; phone (203) 744-0100; web site www.rarediseases.org or email orphan@rarediseases.org

Last Updated:   1/11/2005
Copyright   1986, 1994, 2005 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.


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Last updated: January 11, 2005

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