Thursday, February, 09, 2012

Brucellosis

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Rock fever; Cyprus fever; Undulant fever; Gibraltar fever; Malta fever; Mediterranean fever


Symptoms

Acute brucellosis may begin with mild flu-like symptoms or symptoms such as:

  • Fever
  • Abdominal pain
  • Back pain
  • Chills
  • Excessive sweating
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Loss of appetite
  • Joint pain
  • Weakness
  • Weight loss

Classically, high fever spikes occur every afternoon. "Undulant" fever derives its name from this up-and-down fever.

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

  • Muscle pain
  • Swollen glands

The illness may be chronic and persist for years.


Signs and tests
  • Blood culture
  • Clean catch urine culture
  • CSF culture
  • Bone marrow culture
  • Serology detecting brucellosis antigen

This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:

  • Quantitative immunoglobulins (nephelometry)
  • Serum immunoelectrophoresis
  • Febrile/cold agglutinins

Review Date: 08/28/2009
Reviewed By: Linda Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)