Brucellosis

Statutory notification

• Brucellosis is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
• Case definition: See Brucellosis (external site) national surveillance case definition.
• Notifications: Notify using the online (external site)  infectious diseases notification form (see Frequently Asked Questions for guidance).
• See also description of statutory medical notifications in Western Australia.

Public health summary

• Infectious agent: Brucella abortis, biovars 1 to 6 and 9; B. melitensis biovars 1 to 3; B. suis biovars 1 to 5; B. canis.
• Transmission: Contact through breaks in the skin with animal tissues, blood, urine, vaginal discharges, aborted foetuses and ingestion of unpasteurised dairy products from infected animals. Airborne infection can occur in laboratories and abattoirs. Has been eradicated from Australian domestic animals.
• Incubation period: Usually 1 to 2 months (range 5 to 60 days).
• Infectious period: No evidence of person to person transmission.
• Case exclusion: Do not exclude.
• Contact exclusion: Do not exclude.
• Treatment: Antibiotic treatment as recommended by the doctor.
• Immunisation:  None available.
• Case follow-up: Conducted by local public health units and the Communicable Disease Control Directorate

Notifiable disease data and reports

• Notifiable infectious disease dashboard
• Infectious disease data resources