Brucella melitensis (BM) is a rare respiratory pathogen. The lungs are usually affected in the subacute and chronic course of the disease, when pleurisy, empyema, hilar adenopathy, pneumonia and lung abscess have been described. We present a patient with BM haemorrhagic pleural effusion, with low pH, low glucose and positive pleural fluid cultures. Brucellosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with long-standing pleural effusions of unknown aetiology.