What causes Brucellosis?

Brucellosis is caused by the bacterium Brucella. This bacterium infects domesticated animals. It can be spread to humans through:

• Drinking unpasteurized milk
• Eating dairy foods from infected cows, sheep, or goats
• Having direct contact with the secretions, excretions, or carcasses of infected animals
• Inhaling the bacteria
• Breastfeeding (passed from mother to infant)
• Sexual transmission
• Tissue transplantation