How Do People or Animals Get Brucellosis?
A. In ungulates (hoofed animals), such as cattle, bison and elk, the animal becomes infected after ingesting or eating the Brucella organism. The organism is shed in birthing tissues and fluids, especially before, during or soon after an animal aborts or delivers live young. An elk that encounters an aborted elk fetus will instinctively sniff, lick and/or eat the infected reproductive tissues thus infecting itself. People may become infected with brucellosis by coming in contact with infected animals and their reproductive tissues. The bacteria can enter the body through ingestion, contact with mucous membranes (e.g. eyes), through an open wound, or rarely through intact skin. People who drink unpasteurized milk, or eat other dairy products that are unpasteurized, are at the highest risk for getting the disease. Other people at high risk include livestock handlers, slaughter industry workers and veterinarians. If properly cooked, meat from infected animals is NOT a health risk to human
