CDC Estimates Human Brucella Infections Could be Four Times Higher Than Previously Thought
In a recent article published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated the global incidence of human brucellosis to be 1.6–2.1 million new cases per year, which is three to four times higher than the previous estimate of 500,000 new cases per year. Humans are normally exposed to Brucella by consuming unpasteurized milk products or handling contaminated tissues from livestock.
There are three Brucella species—B. abortus, B. melitensis, and B. suis—that are highly virulent to livestock and humans, and are considered endemic in most countries, predominantly in resource-limited settings. Although Brucella infections are a concern for livestock and are known to be zoonotic, human brucellosis is less recognized and understood.