Brucellosis, also called Malta fever, Mediterranean fever, or undulant fever, infectious disease of domestic animals. Three main species of Brucella bacteria are common causes of human brucellosis, and the bacillus of each of the species has its major reservoir in domestic animals. The causative bacteria are B. melitensis, B. suis, and B. abortus. The infection may not be apparent in animals, for the brucellae and animals that they infect have become fairly well adapted to one another. In cattle, for example, the only signs of illness may be a drop in milk production or a general malaise, although abortion is also common. Brucellosis is, therefore, of considerable economic importance, although it causes no dramatic loss of livestock. Brucellae are highly invasive microbes, causing infection to spread rapidly from animal to animal. Infection of healthy animals takes place through the ingestion of contaminated food or by direct entrance of brucellae through abrasions of the skin or through the mucous membrane of the eyes. In swine, infection of the genitalia of the boar can cause infection to spread throughout a herd. Infected but healthy-appearing cattle, sheep, and goats can excrete considerable numbers of brucellae in their milk for months or even years.
For more details: http://sciaeon.org/veterinary-sciences-and-medicine/home
Submit your manuscript: http://sciaeon.org/submit-paper
Contact us: veterinary@sciaeonopenaccess.com
Veterinary Sciences and Medicine 