What is Brucella? What are the Symptoms of Brucella Disease?

Brucella infection is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella and is a major health problem affecting humans and animals worldwide. These microorganisms are found in various mammals, especially cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and dogs, and are transmitted to humans through contact. Necessary precautions must be taken against this infection, which poses a serious threat to human health, and its risk must be reduced.

What is Brucella?

An infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella brucella disease It can be found in various mammals and can also infect humans. Brucella is a common zoonotic disease worldwide. Zoonotic diseases refer to diseases transmitted from animals to humans. Brucella is usually transmitted to humans by consuming dairy products, products of infected animals, or by contact with infected animals. Symptoms of brucellosis include fever, chills, sweating, muscle aches, fatigue, headache and pain in the joints.

The disease may sometimes go undiagnosed due to the variety of symptoms and its nonspecific nature. If treatment, which is usually done with antibiotics, is not diagnosed early, recovery cannot be achieved and it may become chronic. Brucella control includes measures such as identifying infected animals and taking appropriate precautions, hygienic handling of animal products, and preventing people from coming into contact with infected animals. Burrusella is an infectious disease and is transmitted to humans from animals. This disease, which causes serious health problems, can be prevented by minimizing contact with infected animals and following hygiene rules.

What are the Symptoms of Brucella Disease?

Brucella disease, an infection caused by the bacterium Brucella, is found in various mammals and is also transmitted to humans through contact. The symptoms of brucellosis are quite numerous and while in some cases they may be mild, some cases present with more serious symptoms. Common symptoms of Brucella disease include fever. High fever and fever levels ranging from mild to severe are the initial symptoms of this disease. Chills or feeling cold accompanied by fever are also common symptoms. Excessive sweating and increased sweating at night are among the symptoms of brucella disease.

The disease is often accompanied by a feeling of weakness and fatigue, and these symptoms can make it difficult for you to do daily activities. Brucella infection causes pain, especially in large muscle groups such as the back and waist, and these pains are commonly experienced. Patients often report severe headaches and pain and swelling in the joints. In addition, digestive system problems such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and sometimes diarrhea may also occur.

How Is Brucella Transmitted?

Brucellosis, an infection caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella, is known to be transmitted from mammals to humans. However Brucella transmission ways It is quite diverse. Brucella transmission methods can be explained as follows:

• The most common way of transmission is through contact with infected animals. Especially animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and dogs can carry brucella bacteria. They can become infected through the body fluids of these animals, such as urine, feces, birth fluids and milk. Contact with these liquids during animal contact or processing the meat of infected animals leads to the transmission of brucella infection.
• Brucella bacteria can also be transmitted through the milk or dairy products of infected animals. Especially unpasteurized milk and dairy products may carry the risk of transmitting brucella. Therefore, pasteurization is necessary for the safety of milk and dairy products.
• This disease, which is also transmitted through contact with infected materials during laboratory work, requires laboratory workers to take appropriate safety precautions.
• In rare cases, brucella infection can be transmitted from one person to another. However, this usually happens through direct contact or in rare cases such as blood transfusion.

“Although brucellosis is rare in the United States, it is more common in other parts of the world, especially:

• Southern Europe including Portugal, Spain, Türkiye, Italy, Greece and Southern France
• Eastern Europe
• Mexico, South and Central America
• Asia
• Africa
• Caribbean
• Middle East

People in higher-risk occupations who work with animals or come into contact with infected blood are at higher risk of brucellosis. Examples include:

• veterinarians
• dairy farmers
• farm owners
• slaughterhouse workers
• hunters
• microbiologists

How is Brucella Disease Diagnosed?

an infection caused by brucella bacteria brucella diagnosis Various methods are used for . First, the diagnosis of brucella infection is based on patient history and symptoms. Attention is paid to the patient’s symptoms and history of past contact with animals or infected dairy products. Symptoms such as high fever, chills, sweating, muscle and joint pain suggest brucellosis. The doctor physically examines the patient to evaluate symptoms, especially checking for swelling and tenderness in the lymph nodes or joints. Blood tests can be done to directly identify Brucella bacteria.

However, since this test has low sensitivity, it may sometimes give negative results. Serological tests can also be performed to detect antibodies produced by the body against Brucella infection. In addition, since brucella infection can sometimes cause complications in joints or bones, x-ray, MRI or other imaging tests may be preferred. Diagnosing Brucella disease can often be difficult due to the nonspecific nature of the symptoms. Therefore, it is important for patients with suspected infection to consult a healthcare professional. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment help prevent complications of the disease.

How to Treat Brucella?

The treatment process for Brucella infection varies depending on the severity of the infection, the patient’s age, health status and other factors. Brucella treatment The paths followed can be explained as follows:

• Long-term antibiotic use is usually required to treat the infection. Frequently used antibiotics are usually used for 6 to 8 weeks. In some cases, this process may take longer.
• Symptomatic treatments can be applied to relieve the symptoms caused by Brucella infection. Painkillers and antipyretics may be prescribed to control symptoms such as heaviness and fever.
• Brucella patients should pay attention to rest and healthy nutrition. Rest helps the body fight infection and the healing process.
• A balanced diet also helps strengthen the body and accelerate the healing process. Patients need to be monitored regularly during treatment. The doctor evaluates the effectiveness of the treatment and may change it if necessary.

What are the Ways to Prevent Brucella?

There are some steps to protect against Brucella infection. For example, it is necessary to reduce contact with infected animals as much as possible. In particular, animals that are infected or known to be prone to the disease should be avoided. Contact should not be made with farm animals and wild animals, and people working with these animals should not come together with animals without using protective clothing. When consuming milk and dairy products, it is necessary to choose those that have been subjected to pasteurization. The pasteurization process kills pathogenic microorganisms found in milk and dairy products, which prevents the spread of infections such as brucella.

Washing hands frequently and paying attention to the necessary hygiene rules to prevent the spread of infection without touching anything else, especially after contact with animals, is also a precaution. It is important to properly handle and cook meat from infected animals. Cooking meat thoroughly kills brucella bacteria. Moreover ways to prevent brucella In some cases, the vaccination method is also preferred. However, vaccine use is limited and can be given to people at risk. To protect against Brucella infection, people performing laboratory studies should take appropriate safety precautions. These measures help reduce the risk of infection and ensure the safety of employees.