Brucellosis By ensuring that game is cooked thoroughly, hunters can protect themselves and others from ingesting the disease. Hunters should refer to local game officials and health departments to determine the risk of brucellosis exposure in their immediate area and to learn more about actions to reduce or avoid exposure. Brucellosis 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 (coccobacilli) bacteria. They function as facultative
Brucellosis a "calfhood" vaccination. Most cattle receive a tattoo in one of their ears, serving as proof of their vaccination status. This tattoo also includes the last digit of the year they were born. The first state–federal cooperative efforts towards eradication of brucellosis caused by "Brucella abortus" in the U.S. began in 1934. Brucellosis was originally imported to North America with non-native domestic cattle ("Bos taurus"), which transmitted the disease to wild bison ("Bison bison") and elk ("Cervus canadensis"). No records exist of brucellosis in ungulates native to America until the early 19th century. Antibiotics such as tetracyclines, rifampin, and the