Worldwide

Brucellosis is a disease that can cause an economic loss of up to 20% to a country’s beef industry.  A brucella-positive status severely limits a country’s ability to export its beef related products to other countries.

Other areas of the industry affected by Brucellosis are:

• Interference with breeding programs
  • Loss of calves due to abortion “storms” leading to a 15% loss in calf production
  • Loss of cows due to metritis
  • Culling of valuable cows that are normally sold for beef
• Decreased milk production
• Temporary or permanent infertility
• Temporary infertility that increases the time between lactations

The United States of America

The U.S. suffers from the same problems that face the other countries of the world.  Yearly cost of Brucellosis in the United States is $30 million.

Brazil

The disease causes a 50% decrease in calf production, thereby decreasing the fertility indexes. Infected animals experience a decrease of 20 to 25% in milk production and of 15% in meat production.

Brucellosis affects all animal species. In humans it is considered an occupational disease that affects mostly veterinarians, farmers, and slaughterhouse workers . In humans, brucellosis causes intermittent fever, weakness, weight loss, epididymitis and orchitis, abdominal pain and arthritis.