Brucella is a bacterium that causes an infectious disease known as brucellosis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2021), this microorganism, while unlikely to infect people through human-human contact, mostly derives from contact with cattle and contaminated products. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2020) states that brucellosis caused by Brucella is a globally recognized and extremely widespread zoonosis that remains one of the most neglected corresponding infections. With a global annual incidence rate of 5,000,000 to 12,500,000 cases, the fatality rate remains low and does not exceed 2% (Hull & Schumaker, 2018).
Despite its prevalence worldwide, the most recent outbreak of Brucella was in China in 2020, where after a leak on a biopharmaceutical company, more than 7,000 people tested positive for brucellosis (Yeung & Cheung, 2020). Primary predisposing factors for Brucella include the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products, working closely with cattle animals, and working at such jobs as meatpacking, slaughterhouse work, veterinarian, and lab work (CDC, 2021). Hence, it is reasonable to assume that many people are exposed to the risk of being infected with Brucella.
Safety precautions include avoiding the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products and wearing personal protection equipment (PPE) when working with animal tissues. The treatment of brucellosis is practically the same for everyone, excluding pregnant women and people with allergies to antibiotics or immunosuppression (CDC, 2021). It includes the intake of two antibiotics, doxycycline, and rifampin, for nearly two months (CDC, 2021).
The duration of treatment is extremely important, as the bacterium has an extremely high survival rate and “does not produce classical virility factors” (Głowacka et al., 2018, p. 151). It may be concluded that Brucella is an extremely widespread microorganism capable of catalyzing outbreaks in the areas of close interaction with animals and laboratories. Hence, it is vital to consider the risk factors and precautions prior to interacting with the aforementioned bacterium carriers.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Brucellosis. Web.
Głowacka, P., Żakowska, D., Naylor, K., Niemcewicz, M., & Bielawska-Drozd, A. (2018). Brucella–virulence factors, pathogenesis and treatment. Polish Journal of Microbiology, 67(2), 151-161. Web.
Hull, N. C., & Schumaker, B. A. (2018). Comparisons of brucellosis between human and veterinary medicine. Infection Ecology & Epidemiology, 8(1), 1500846. Web.
World Health Organization. (2020). Brucellosis. Web.
Yeung, J., & Cheung, E. (2020). Bacterial outbreak infects thousands after factory leak in China. CNN. Web.