Less frequent signs, but more important crippling effects, include emotional and neuropsychiatric problems, and problems with internal infection in the bones and joints and occasionally death. If you think, you might have brucellosis you should keep careful records of your temperature in order to reveal a rhythmic rise and fall. You should also note any other symptoms that might help your doctor diagnose brucellosis. The time for symptoms to appear is highly variable, but usually within five to 30 days from the date of exposure. It is unlikely that an individual will be reinfected.
Early diagnosis leading to prompt treatment is essential to prevent chronic infection.
Long term therapy may be necessary under a doctor's care, with some individuals never fully recovering. There has been a corresponding decrease in the incidence in the human population because of pasteurization of milk, eradication efforts of the disease from livestock, and the reduction of the number of small family farms. Because this disease has become more rare, physicians have become less familiar with its symptoms and the may miss the diagnosis. Various groups such as slaughterhouse workers, veterinarians, and cattle and bison owners have the greatest risk of contracting this disease. In Montana there have been at least two hunters identified with the disease one in 1986 and one 1995.