What is Brucellosis and How do People Get it?
Brucellosis is a potentially serious illness that may affect one part or several different parts of the body. It is caused by several different bacteria from the Brucella family. Brucella bacteria are found naturally in some animals including sheep, goats, cattle, deer, elk, pigs, and dogs. Brucellosis disease in humans is not common in the United States or in California, though it does occur. During the period 1994-2003 there were 275 total brucellosis illnesses reported in California; of these 2 were in San Francisco. Human brucellosis cases are more common in regions without strong animal disease control programs, including the Middle East and Mediterranean regions, and in China, India, and Latin America. People can get brucellosis by touching, eating, drinking, or breathing in Brucella bacteria. This is called exposure to brucellosis. Not everybody who is exposed to brucellosis will get sick. But many will, and as the Brucella bacteria multiply inside the body, they can cause serio
