Prevention of human brucellosis can be achieved by eradication of the disease in animals by vaccination and other veterinary control methods such as testing herds/flocks and slaughtering animals when infection is present. Currently, no effective vaccine is available for humans. Boiling milk before consumption, or before using it to produce other dairy products, is protective against transmission via ingestion. Changing traditional food habits of eating raw meat, liver, or bone marrow is necessary, but difficult to implement. Patients who have had brucellosis should probably be excluded indefinitely from donating blood or organs. Exposure of diagnostic laboratory personnel to Brucella organisms remains a problem in both endemic settings and when brucellosis is unknowingly imported by a patient. After appropriate risk assessment, staff with significant exposure should be offered postexposure prophylaxis and followed up serologically for 6 months. Epidemiology
Argentina
According to a study published in 2002, an estimated 10–13% of farm animals are infected with Brucella species. Annual losses from the disease were calculated at around $60 million. Since 1932, government agencies have undertaken efforts to contain the disease. Currently, all cattle of ages 3–8 months must receive the Brucella abortus strain 19 vaccine. Australia
Australia is free of cattle brucellosis, although it occurred in the past. Brucellosis of sheep or goats has never been reported. Brucellosis of pigs does occur. Feral pigs are the typical source of human infections. Canada
On 19 September 1985, the Canadian government declared its cattle population brucellosis-free.
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. See also
Brucella suis

References
Further reading
Fact sheet on Brucellosis from World Organisation for Animal Health
Brucella genomes and related information at PATRIC, a Bioinformatics Resource Center funded by NIAID
Prevention about Brucellosis from Centers for Disease Control
Capasso L (August 2002). "Bacteria in two-millennia-old cheese, and related epizoonoses in Roman populations". The Journal of Infection. 45 (2): 122–7. doi:10.1053/jinf.2002.0996. PMID 12217720. – re high rate of brucellosis in humans in ancient Pompeii
Brucellosis, factsheet from European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control


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