Introduction

Brucellosis is a bacterialinfection originating in animals that can cause long-lasting flu-like symptoms. It's rare in most developed countries.

In mainland Britain, brucellosis has effectively been wiped out from cattle, goats, sheep and pigs through the vaccination of animals,the test and slaughter of infected herds and the pasteurisation of milk.

However,brucellosis is still a problem globally it's the most common bacterial infection spread from animals to humans worldwide.

It's a particular problem in parts of:

  • The Middle East
  • Asia
  • South and Central America
  • Africa
  • Eastern Europe
  • countries by the Mediterranean Sea such as Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Southern France

An average of 10 cases of brucellosis are diagnosed each year in England and Wales,and these are almostalwaysin people who have acquired it abroad.

Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 4 Jan 2017