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| Brucellosis, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention, Complications |
Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by the Brucella bacteria. This disease is usually characterized by symptoms of fever, joint pain, and easy fatigue, which can last from weeks to months.
Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease, which is a disease that is transmitted from animals to humans. Brucella bacteria can enter through the eyes, skin, mucous membranes, respiratory tract, and digestive tract, then survive in the body's cells.
Brucella bacteria can move from one organ to another through the bloodstream and lymph. As a result, the infection that appears can spread to other parts of the body.
Causes of Brucellosis
Brucella bacteria that cause brucellosis can be found in various types of animals, such as cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, wild boars, hunting dogs, deer, bison, and camels. A person can get brucellosis in various ways, such as:
- Breathing air contaminated with Brucella bacteria
- Consuming raw or undercooked products, such as beef, milk, or cheese, from animals infected with Brucella bacteria
- Touching the blood, sperm, or bodily fluids of an animal infected with the Brucella bacteria, especially if those bodily fluids entered the bloodstream through an open wound
Brucellosis is generally not spread between humans. However, in certain cases, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers who are affected by brucellosis can pass this disease on to their children. Although rare, brucellosis can also be transmitted through sex, and blood transfusions or organ transplants that have been contaminated with the Brucella bacteria.
Brucellosis risk factors
Brucellosis can happen to anyone, but the risk of developing the disease is higher in people with the following factors:
- Have a weak immune system
- Visiting areas where there are many cases of brucellosis
- Work as a farmer, rancher, animal hunter, butcher, veterinarian, or work in a microbiology laboratory
Symptoms of Brucellosis
Symptoms of brucellosis can appear days or months after infection. Symptoms can be similar to flu symptoms, namely:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shivering
- Tired easily
- Stomach ache
- Headache
- Back pain
- Muscle and joint pain
- Weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Sweating at night
Symptoms of brucellosis may go away within a few weeks or months, but they can recur. In some people, symptoms can last for years (chronic), despite treatment.
Chronic symptoms that can occur include:
- Recurrent fever
- Joint pain
- Swollen testicles (scrotum)
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Swelling in the liver or spleen
When to go to the doctor
Symptoms of brucellosis can be difficult to recognize, especially in the early stages. Therefore, people with brucellosis often assume that the complaints they experience are symptoms of the common cold.
Therefore, immediately consult a doctor if a high fever appears suddenly accompanied by muscle aches and the body is easily tired, especially if you have recently consumed raw animal products or had physical contact with an animal suspected of being infected.
Keep checking with your doctor if you come into contact with an infected animal even if you don't have any symptoms. The doctor will monitor your condition for at least 6 months.
Diagnosis of Brucellosis
The doctor will ask questions related to the patient's symptoms, followed by a physical examination. Next, the doctor will take a blood sample and a sample of the patient's spinal fluid to detect the presence of antibodies associated with brucellosis.
To check whether the patient has experienced complications, the doctor will perform the following examinations:
- X-rays, to see if there are changes in the bones and joints
- CT scan or MRI, to check for abscesses (collections of pus) or inflammation in the brain and other body tissues
- Echocardiography, to detect infection or damage to the heart
- Examination of cerebrospinal fluid (cerebrospinal fluid), to check for signs of inflammation of the brain and meningitis
Brucellosis Treatment
Treatment of brucellosis aims to relieve symptoms, prevent recurrence of infection, and reduce the risk of complications. Doctors will usually prescribe doxycycline with rifampicin to be taken for at least 6 weeks. Other types of antibiotics that may be prescribed include:
- Sulfamethoxazole
- Streptomycin
- Ciprofloxacin
- Tetracycline
- Aminoglycoside
- Chloramphenicol
Please note, there are 5–15% cases of brucellosis that recur despite treatment. Usually, re-infection occurs 6 months after treatment and can last for a long time (chronic).
Brucellosis Complications
Brucellosis can affect almost any part of the body, such as the central nervous system, reproductive system, and liver. If it persists in the long term, brucellosis can cause complications in one or more organs, such as:
- Infection in the inner lining of the heart wall (endocarditis)
- Infection and swelling in the spleen and liver
- Inflammation of the joints (arthritis), especially in the knees, hips, spine, and ankles and hands
- Inflammation and infection of the genital tract and testicles in men (epididymo-orchitis)
- Infections of the central nervous system, such as inflammation of the lining of the brain (meningitis) and inflammation of the brain (encephalitis)
- Miscarriage and birth defects
Brucellosis Prevention
There are several ways that can be done to reduce the risk of developing brucellosis, namely:
- Cook the meat until it is completely cooked.
- Don't eat unpasteurized dairy products.
- Use rubber gloves, protective goggles, and protective clothing, when making contact with animals.
- Make sure farm animals and pets get vaccinated.
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