Brucellosis

This chapter focuses on brucellosis as a zoonotic disease found in Latin America, Mediterranean countries, and Arabian countries. It points out how the number of cases of brucellosis dropped from 6,147 in 1947 to 104 in 1991 with modern bovine brucellosis eradication, mainly by pasteurization of milk or dairy products. It also looks at cases of brucellosis in the United States that are related to occupational exposure to Brucella abortus. The chapter discusses Brucella melitensis as the pathogen responsible for severe clinical patterns and chronic forms due to the ingestion of unpasteurized dairy products in Texas and Florida. It explains brucellosis as one of the most protean diseases, which can be divided it into three forms: Acute brucellosis, Subacute brucellosis, and Chronic brucellosis.