Brucellosis: Recognition, Investigation, and Laboratory Safety (ODW6036)-Brucellosis Recognition, Investigation, and Laboratory Safety Recording

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Video Summary

The presentation covered brucellosis in Georgia, focusing on recognition, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, laboratory safety, and recent investigations. Speakers Dr. Julie Gobble and Skylar Brennan explained that brucellosis is a rare but serious zoonotic disease caused by Brucella bacteria, which are gram-negative, intracellular organisms with a very low infectious dose. Major human infections in Georgia are linked to Brucella suis from feral swine exposure and Brucella melitensis from unpasteurized dairy, especially during international travel. Symptoms are often nonspecific—fever, night sweats, fatigue, joint pain, and weight loss—but the disease can lead to complications such as arthritis, meningitis, endocarditis, and infections of spinal hardware or orthopedic implants. Diagnosis relies on culture, and treatment requires dual antibiotics, usually doxycycline plus rifampin, for at least six weeks to prevent relapse.<br /><br />The presenters also emphasized that brucellosis is one of the most common laboratory-associated bacterial infections because specimens are often handled before the organism is recognized. They reviewed CDC laboratory risk categories and recommended follow-up, including symptom watch, serologic monitoring, and post-exposure prophylaxis for high-risk exposures.<br /><br />Two investigations were highlighted: a 2024 Brucella melitensis outbreak linked to shared unpasteurized cheese among three closely connected families, and two unusual Brucella suis cases in older women with no direct feral swine exposure, suggesting possible dog-related transmission and prompting further study.

Keywords

brucellosis

Brucella

zoonotic disease

Georgia

feral swine exposure

unpasteurized dairy

laboratory safety

doxycycline rifampin