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Medical Author:

Steven Doerr, MD

Steven Doerr, MD

Steven Doerr, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Doerr received his undergraduate degree in Spanish from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He graduated with his Medical Degree from the University Of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colorado in 1998 and completed his residency training in Emergency Medicine from Denver Health Medical Center in Denver, Colorado in 2002, where he also served as Chief Resident.

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Medical Editor:

Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP

Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP

Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Michigan State University. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt Medical School, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Indiana University.

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In this Article

• What is brucellosis?
• What is the history of brucellosis?
• What causes brucellosis?
• How is brucellosis transmitted?
• What are the symptoms and signs of brucellosis?
• How is brucellosis diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for brucellosis?
• What are the complications of brucellosis?
• How can brucellosis be prevented?
• Brucellosis At A Glance
• Brucellosis Index

The symptoms and signs of brucellosis may develop from days to months after the initial exposure to the organism (incubation period). While some individuals may develop mild symptoms, others may go on to develop long-term chronic symptoms.

The signs and symptoms of brucellosis are extensive and they can be similar to many other febrile illnesses. They include

• fever (the most common finding, and it may be intermittent and relapsing),



• sweating,



• body aches,



• joint pain,



• fatigue,



• weakness,



• dizziness,



• headache,



• depression,



• irritability,



• loss of appetite,



• weight loss,



• cough,



• difficulty breathing,



• chest pain,



• abdominal pain,



• enlarged liver and/or spleen.

Other symptoms and signs may also be present with brucellosis. Certain variables such as the severity of illness, the chronicity of illness, and the development of complications can all impact the clinical findings associated with the disease.