page_title: Brucellosis
section_title: Europe
hierarchical_section_title: Brucellosis / Epidemiology / Europe
context_page_description: Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by ingestion of unpasteurized milk or undercooked meat from infected animals, or close contact with their secretions. It is also known as undulant fever, Malta fever, and Mediterranean fever.
  Brucella species are small, Gram-negative, nonmotile, nonspore-forming, rod-shaped bacteria. They function as facultative intracellular parasites, causing chronic disease, which usually persists for life. Four species infect humans: B. abortus, B. canis, B. melitensis, and B. suis. B. abortus is less virulent than B. melitensis and is primarily a disease of cattle. B. canis affects dogs. B. melitensis is the most virulent and invasive species; it usually infects goats and occasionally sheep. B. suis is of intermediate virulence and chiefly infects pigs. Symptoms include profuse sweating and joint and muscle pain. Brucellosis has been recognized in animals and humans since the 20th century.
caption: Disease incidence map of B. melitensis infections in animals in Europe during the first half of 2006   never reported   not reported in this period   confirmed clinical disease   confirmed infection   no information