What is "brucellosis"

malta fever \malta fever\ n. (Med.) An infectious disease contracted from meat or milk products from infected domestic animals; called also brucellosis and undulant fever.

1930, Modern Latin, named for Scottish physician Sir David Bruce (1855-1931), who discovered the bacteria that caused it (1887).

n. (context pathology English) infection by the bacterium, ''Brucella'', which is carried by ruminants. Symptoms include recurring fevers, sweating, weakness, anorexia, headaches, depression and generalized aches and pains.

1. n. infectious bacterial disease of human beings transmitted by contact with infected animals or infected meat or milk products; characterized by fever and headache [syn: undulant fever, Malta fever, Gibraltar fever, Rock fever, Mediterranean fever]

2. an infectious disease of domestic animals often resulting in spontaneous abortion; transmittable to human beings [syn: contagious abortion, Bang's disease]

Brucellosis, Bang's disease, Crimean fever, Gibraltar fever, Malta fever, Maltese fever, Mediterranean fever, rock fever, or undulant fever, is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by ingestion of unpasteurized milk or undercooked meat from infected animals, or close contact with their secretions.

Brucella species are small, gram-negative, nonmotile, nonspore-forming, rod-shaped ( coccobacilli) bacteria. They function as facultative intracellular parasites, causing chronic disease, which usually persists for life. Four species infect humans: B. abortus, B. canis, B. melitensis, and B. suis. B. abortus is less virulent than B. melitensis and is primarily a disease of cattle. B. canis affects dogs. B. melitensis is the most virulent and invasive species; it usually infects goats and occasionally sheep. B. suis is of intermediate virulence and chiefly infects pigs. Symptoms include profuse sweating and joint and muscle pain. Brucellosis has been recognized in animals and humans since the 20th century.