Brucellosis: An Elusive Backyard Agent

Cureus. 2020 May 16;12(5):e8154. doi: 10.7759/cureus.8154.

Abstract

Brucellosis is a form of zoonotic infection caused by various Brucella organisms. It most commonly presents as a case of pyrexia of unknown origin, alongside symptoms such as night sweats, malaise, arthralgias, and myalgias. This report describes the case of a man who presented with pyrexia of unknown origin for one month; he was diagnosed to be a case of brucellosis after enteric fever was ruled out. Investigations were ordered as it was a differential diagnosis with high clinical suspicion due to the presenting complaint and potential exposure of tainted consumable products. The systemic disease was determined to be brucellosis following blood results demonstrating positive antibody titers, and the suspicion of exposure due to widespread inadequacies in sterilization of food products.

Keywords: brucella; brucellosis; contagious; family medicine; infectious disease; internal medicine; medicine; pasteurization; zoonosis; zoonotic.

Publication types

  • Case Reports