Brucella

Question 1

Physical description of Brucella

Answer 1

• G negative
• aerobic
• coccobacillus
• very slow growth
• facultative intracellular parasite
• goats, cattle, swine, dog

Question 2

Clinical presentation of brucella

Answer 2

• incubation 1-6wks
• undulant fever
• chronic with intracellular localization, granuloma(liver, spleen, LN, bone)
• livestock abortions

Question 3

Epidemiology of brucella

Answer 3

• abortion storms
• transmitted from male in semen
• wild animals
• milk, infected animals, lab accidents

Question 4

Pathogenesis of brucella

Answer 4

• intracellular survival of PMNs and macrophages
• spreads by lymphatics and bloodstream
• no exotoxin, response to LPS, PG, cytokines

Question 5

Control of brucella

Answer 5

• pasteurize milk
• doxycycline + rifampin, streptomycin
• erradication from herds