FEB 23, 2019

What is Brucellosis?

WRITTEN BY: Carmen Leitch

Zoonotic diseases can jump from species to species. One example is brucellosis, which humans can get after consuming cheese or milk that has not been pasteurized, a process that removes pathogens from food by heating it mildly. The FDA has warned against drinking unpasteurized milk (also known as raw milk).

This video from Mayo Clinic outlines brucellosis, which is caused by bacteria. It causes fatigue, fever, sweats and joint or muscle pain and is often treated successfully with antibiotics. It can become a more serious chronic illness, however.

The CDC is currently investigating an outbreak of brucellosis "connected to consuming raw (unpasteurized) milk from Miller’s Biodiversity Farm in Quarryville, Pennsylvania." People in nineteen states have purchased products from this farm, and the CDC is suggesting that those who bought Miller's Biodiversity Farm milk at any time since January 2016 should discuss it with their doctors. The CDC's report noted that the farm's infected cow has been identified and removed.