Alice Catherine Evans service worker was protected by law. Alice became interested in the disease brucellosis and its relationship to fresh, unpasteurized milk. Alice's investigation focused on the organism "Bacillus abortus", known to cause miscarriages in animals. Alice learned that the microbe thrived in infected cows as well as animals that appeared healthy. The reports hypothesized that since the bacteria was found in cow's milk, a threat to human health was likely. Evans decided to investigate this; she wondered whether the disease in cows could be the cause of undulant fever in humans. She reported her findings to the Society of American Bacteriologists
Brucellosis are high incidences of abortions, arthritic joints, and retained placenta. The two main causes for spontaneous abortion in animals are erythritol, which can promote infections in the fetus and placenta, and the lack of anti-"Brucella" activity in the amniotic fluid. Males can also harbor the bacteria in their reproductive tracts, namely seminal vesicles, ampullae, testicles, and epididymes. The causative agent of brucellosis in dogs, "B. canis", is transmitted to other dogs through breeding and contact with aborted fetuses. Brucellosis can occur in humans who come in contact with infected aborted tissue or semen. The bacteria in dogs normally infect the