What does brucellosis mean?
Brucellosis is a bacterial infection that affects both animals and humans, caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella. In people, it usually develops after consuming unpasteurized milk or cheese from infected animals, or through close contact with infected livestock, and it produces prolonged bouts of fever that rise and fall — hence the traditional name 'undulant fever' — together with drenching sweats, fatigue, headache, and aching joints and muscles. Because these symptoms mimic many other illnesses, diagnosis can be delayed, though the disease is treatable with antibiotics. In cattle, goats, and pigs, brucellosis is economically important because it causes infertility and spontaneous abortion. Named after the Scottish physician David Bruce, who identified the causative organism in the late nineteenth century, the word appears almost exclusively in medical and veterinary contexts, and the illness itself remains a reminder of why pasteurization matters.
nounA bacterial infectious disease of humans and animals caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella, typically contracted from unpasteurized dairy products or direct contact with infected animals, marked by fever, sweats, fatigue, and joint and muscle pain.
- A bacterial zoonotic disease caused by Brucella species, transmitted to humans chiefly through unpasteurized dairy products or contact with infected livestock, characterized by undulating fever, sweating, malaise, and musculoskeletal pain.
- A corresponding infection found in cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, or dogs, significant in veterinary medicine because it causes infertility and miscarriage in animals.
"Several farm workers were diagnosed with brucellosis after drinking unpasteurized milk from an infected herd."
"The veterinarian wore gloves at all times, aware that brucellosis could pass from aborted cattle fetuses to humans."
"Health officials traced the brucellosis outbreak to soft cheese made from raw goat's milk."
Rarely used; the plural follows the Latin-style '-es' ending typical of medical terms in '-osis'. In practice, writers refer to individual 'cases of brucellosis' rather than using the plural form.
"Veterinary records from the region documented several brucelloses among dairy herds."
Also called Malta fever, brucellosis got its name from Scottish microbiologist David Bruce, who identified its cause in the late 19th century — and today it most often strikes people who drink unpasteurized milk.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of brucellosis
The word brucellosis was formed in the late nineteenth century from the name of Sir David Bruce, the Scottish physician and microbiologist who in 1887 isolated the causative organism (later named Brucella) from soldiers suffering from what was then known as Malta or Mediterranean fever. The suffix '-osis', borrowed through New Latin from Greek, denotes an abnormal condition or disease process, so the term literally means 'the condition associated with Bruce'. Comparable coinages such as tuberculosis follow the same pattern of combining a root with this Greek-derived medical suffix.
Related word forms
How brucellosis is actually used
Brucellosis is a formal, technical term used mainly in medical, veterinary, public-health, and scientific writing. In everyday speech it rarely appears except in news reports of outbreaks. The older names 'undulant fever' and 'Malta fever' reflect historical usage and are still encountered in literature, while 'Bang's disease' refers specifically to the cattle form.
Easily confused with brucellosis
Bruxism is the habitual grinding or clenching of the teeth, whereas brucellosis is a bacterial infection transmitted from animals.