TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Chapter 254. Brucellosis A1 - Shehab, Ziad M. A2 - Rudolph, Colin D. A2 - Rudolph, Abraham M. A2 - Lister, George E. A2 - First, Lewis R. A2 - Gershon, Anne A. PY - 2011 T2 - Rudolph's Pediatrics, 22e AB - Brucellosis is a worldwide zoonosis of wild and domestic animals and is most commonly found in countries of the Mediterranean basin, the Arabian Gulf, the Indian subcontinent, and parts of Mexico and Central and South America. Human infections are caused by four species: Brucella melitensis which is the most common infection in the United States and is acquired from goats and sheep, B abortus, B suis, and B canis. The organisms are intracellular gram-negative coccobacilli that infect humans by ingestion, inhalation, or inoculation of the skin or conjunctivae.1,2 In countries where brucellosis is endemic, the most common risk factor for infection is consumption of unpasteurized milk.2-4 The typical patient seen in the United States tends to be an Hispanic male from California or Texas who acquired B melitensis from contaminated goat’s milk or goat cheese that was imported from or ingested in Mexico. Brucellosis can be an occupational hazard for veterinarians and other individuals involved in the livestock industry. This changed markedly with immunization of herds and improved sanitation in meat-processing plants so that infections ascribable to B abortus (cattle) and B suis (swine) have essentially disappeared. Brucellosis is rare in the United States and is infrequently seen in children. In 2006, only 14 of 121 cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control were in patients under age 15.5 SN - PB - The McGraw-Hill Companies CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/28 UR - accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=7025218 ER -