brucellosis

noun

bru·​cel·​lo·​sis ˌbrü-sə-ˈlō-səs 

plural brucelloses ˌbrü-sə-ˈlō-ˌsēz 

: infection with or disease caused by brucellae

Examples of brucellosis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Physicians feared that tuberculosis, anthrax and brucellosis would also be spread by dogs and rats who became pathogen carriers. —Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 22 Sep. 2024

Others want to use the rats for detecting salmonella, brucellosis (a disease that mainly affects livestock) and cancers of various kinds. —Tommy Trenchard, NPR, 15 June 2024

The swine also carry at least 40 parasites, 30 bacterial and viral illnesses, and can infect humans, livestock and other animals with diseases like brucellosis and tuberculosis. —Sara Chernikoff, USA TODAY, 13 June 2024

Utah, for example, requires some cattle to test negative or be vaccinated for brucellosis, a bacterial infection, while Maryland requires chickens to test negative for pullorum disease and typhoid. —Linda Qiu, New York Times, 20 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

brucellosis

noun

bru·​cel·​lo·​sis ˌbrü-sə-ˈlō-səs 

plural brucelloses -ˌsēz 

1

: a disease of domestic animals caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella (Brucella melitensis of goats, B. suis of swine and rarely cattle, B. abortus of cattle and rarely swine, and B. canis of dogs) and is marked especially by abortion see bang's disease, contagious abortion

2

: an acute or chronic disease of humans that is acquired especially through direct contact with animals or animal products (as unpasteurized milk) infected with bacteria of the genus Brucella and is characterized by fever, fatigue, joint and muscle pain, loss of appetite, and swelling of internal organs (as the liver or heart)

called also Malta fever, Mediterranean fever, undulant fever