- Brucellosis
About Brucellosis
Brucellosis is a disease caused by Brucella bacteria. People can get brucellosis from infected animals or contaminated animal products. Both domestic animals (dogs, cats, livestock, etc.) and wild animals can have brucellosis.
Spread
Brucellosis spreads from animals to humans in several ways. These include:
- Unpasteurized (raw) dairy products or undercooked meat.
- Breathing in the bacteria that cause brucellosis. This is most common in people who work in laboratories or meat-processing.
- Getting bacteria into open skin wounds or onto mucous membranes. This includes inside the mouth, nose, or eyes.
People who hunt animals may also be at risk. Common animals include:
- Bison
- Elk
- Caribou
- Moose
- Wild hogs (feral pigs)
Hunters can get the bacteria through all the ways listed above. This includes breathing in the bacteria while dressing game.
Person-to-person spread of brucellosis is rare but can occur. This includes:
- from an infected mother to infant during breast feeding
- through tissue transplant or blood transfusion
- during sexual activity
Symptoms
Common symptoms of brucellosis include:
- Fever and sweats
- Loss of appetite
- Headache
- Pain in muscles, joints, or back
- Feeling very tired
Some symptoms can last for long periods of time, never go away, or reoccur over time. These include:
- Fevers that reoccur
- Arthritis
- Chronic fatigue
- Depression
Some people may also have swelling of the liver, spleen, heart, or testicle and scrotum. Death from brucellosis is rare.
Diagnosis and Treatment
If you think you might have brucellosis, talk to a health care provider. Your health care provider will test your blood for antibodies to the bacteria. They can also run tests on blood, bone marrow, or other body fluids to look for the bacteria itself.
Once diagnosed, a health care provider can give you antibiotics. Most people recover in a few weeks, though some may take several months to recover completely.
Prevention
The best way to prevent getting brucellosis is to make sure you do not eat:
- Undercooked meat
- Raw dairy products from any animal (cow, sheep, goat, camel, etc.). This includes milk, cheese, and ice cream. Learn more about raw dairy products.
If you are not sure if a dairy product is pasteurized, do not eat or drink it. Pasteurization is when raw milk gets heated to a high temperature for a short period of time. This destroys harmful bacteria that might make people sick, including Brucella bacteria.
Some people are at increased risk because they work with animals. This includes hunters, animal herdsmen, and people who work in meat processing. People who handle animal tissues should protect themselves by wearing:
- Rubber gloves
- Goggles
- Gowns or aprons
This can help keep bacteria from getting into eyes or a cut in the skin.
Resources
- Q Fever
Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii, a species of bacteria that is distributed globally. In 1999, Q fever became a notifiable disease in the United States but reporting is not required in many other countries. Because the disease is underreported, scientists cannot reliably assess how many cases of Q fever have actually occurred worldwide. Many human infections are inapparent. Maine monitors the incidence of Q fever through mandatory reporting by health care providers, clinical laboratories and other public health partners.
Q fever usually spreads when a person breathes in dust containing the dried wastes of infected animals. Direct contact with infected animals and their blood, feces, urine, soiled bedding, and raw milk can also cause infection.
- High Fevers up to 105°F
- Headaches
- Feeling Tired
- Muscle Aches
- Cough
Symptoms can also include sore throat, chills, sweats, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, stomach pain, and chest pain. Chronic Q fever is more serious and can harm heart valves. Most infected animals do not have symptoms, but infection may cause abortion in sheep and goats.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you think you have Q fever. Let your provider know if you work with animals. Most people recover without treatment, but antibiotics are available and work best when started early. Chronic Q fever is very difficult to treat. Q fever can be deadly if it is not treated correctly.
Pregnant Women and Q Fever Women who are infected during pregnancy may be at risk for miscarriage, stillbirth, pre-term delivery, or low infant birth weight
Who Gets Q Fever?
- Persons at highest risk include those who work with animals, including veterinarians, meat workers, sheep and dairy workers, and farmers
- Prevent Q Fever
- Wear a face mask and shield when in contact with infected animal
Do not eat or drink raw milk and raw milk products.
Safety measures for people who work with animals include:
- Wear appropriate personal protective equipment
- Ensure correct disposal of infected materials, such as birth products and aborted fetuses
- Restrict access to laboratories and barns with infected animals
- Use the correct method for bagging and cleaning work clothes
For More Information, Visit
You can also call Maine CDC at 1-800-821-5821
- Trichinosis
Trichinosis (trick-i-no-sis), also called trichinellosis (trick-i-nell-o-sis), is caused by eating raw or undercooked meat of animals infected with the larvae of a species of worm called Trichinella. Infection occurs commonly in certain wild carnivorous (meat-eating) animals but may also occur in domestic pigs
Infection can only occur by eating raw or undercooked meat containing Trichinella
Signs and Symptoms
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Diarrhea Fever
- Abdominal pain
- Cough
The first symptoms are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, fever, and abdominal pain. Other symptoms include headaches, chills, cough, eye swelling, joint pain, muscle pain, itchy skin, and constipation. Symptoms usually start 1 to 2 days after eating contaminated meat. Most symptoms go away within a few months. In severe cases, death can occur.
Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any of these signs and symptoms. Let your provider know if you recently ate raw or undercooked food. They can run a blood test or muscle biopsy to see if you have trichinosis. Several drugs are available to treat the illness.
Prevent Trichinosis Updated June 2021 Icons from www.flaticon.com For More Information, Visit:
You can also call Maine CDC at 1-800-821-5821.
The best way to prevent trichinosis is to:
- Cook meat and meat products to safe temperatures. Visit www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/prevention/ for proper food temps and handling.
- Cook wild game meat thoroughly. For wild game (whole cuts and ground), cook to at least 165°F
- Freeze pork for 20 days, Freezing pork less than 6 inches thick for 20 days at 5°F will kill any worms.
- Cook all meat fed to pigs or other wild animals
- Do not allow hogs to eat uncooked carcasses of other animals, including rats
- Clean meat grinders thoroughly if you prepare your own ground meats
Curing (salting), drying, smoking, or microwaving meat does not consistently kill Trichinella. Freezing wild game meats, unlike freezing pork products, even for long periods of time may not effectively kill all worms.
For More Information, Visit
You can also call Maine CDC at 1-800-821-5821.
