Brucella melitensis

Background

• Causes brucellosis, also called Malta fever

Microbiology

• Facultative intracellular, Gram-negative coccobacillus
• Catalase-positive, oxidase-positive, nitrate-positive, and urease-positive
• Risk group 3 organism
• When suspected, plates should be sealed and it should not be set up for mass spectrometry

Epidemiology

• Zoonotic transmission transmitted by ingesting contaminated food (such as unpasteurized milk products), direct contact with an infected animal, or inhalation of aerosols

Clinical Manifestations

• Exposure to unpasteurized milk products or animals
• Undulating fever
• Headache, arthralgia, night sweats, fatigue, anorexia
• Arthritis, spondylitis, osteomyelitis
• Orchitis and epididymitis
• Foul-smelling sweat

Management

• Gentamicin, streptomycin, doxycycline, TMP-SMX