Symptoms of brucellosis may show up anytime from a few days to a few months after you're infected. Signs and symptoms are similar to those of the flu and include:
- Joint, muscle and back pain
Brucellosis symptoms may disappear for weeks or months and then return. In some people, brucellosis becomes chronic, with symptoms persisting for years, even after treatment. Long-term signs and symptoms include fatigue, fevers, arthritis and spondylitis — an inflammatory arthritis that affects the spine and adjacent joints.
When to see a doctor
Brucellosis can be hard to identify, especially in the early stages, when it often resembles many other conditions, such as the flu. See your doctor if you develop a rapidly rising fever, muscle aches or unusual weakness and have any risk factors for the disease, or if you have a persistent fever.
Jan. 02, 2014
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- Galinska EM, et al. Brucellosis in humans — etiology, diagnostics, clinical forms. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine. 2013;20:233.
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- Safe minimum cooking temperatures. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html. Accessed July 3, 2013.
- Steckelberg JM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 27, 2013.
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