Allergic to cheese? It could be brucellosis

Those who like to eat homemade dairy products, especially feta cheese, various types of goat and sheep cheese, often become patients of a dermatologist with a suspected allergic reaction. However, in most cases, the rash on the body and other unpleasant symptoms that accompany it are caused by a zoonotic infection called brucellosis. The source of this infection are many domestic ungulates – from cows and goats to pigs and camels. Brucella are easily neutralized by heat treatment, and boiling milk, cooking meat, and other animal products can prevent human infection. But lovers of homemade cheese may well suffer. Read about the dangers of brucellosis at Estet-portal.com.

How brucellosis manifests itself, characteristic forms and their symptoms

There are different types of Brucella that can cause disease in humans, and the severity of the disease can depend on these types. Brucellosis is transmitted most often through food and water, although in some cases – through dust, soil, through direct contact with the skin or fur of the animal. A person can get sick if he ate or drank  without proper temperature treatment, milk, meat, cottage cheese, cheese, koumiss, cheese from a sick animal, if he took a sip of water or ate unwashed carrots from the garden, where the feces of an infected animal remained. A person has a high susceptibility to brucellosis, but a person who has recovered from this infection develops resistance to it.

Forms of brucellosis and their most characteristic manifestations

Acute brucellosis. It develops quickly, begins with manifestations of general malaise, weakness, insomnia, myalgia. Then intoxication increases sharply, there is a very strong chill, followed by a heavy sweat. The temperature is very high, while the skin is pale, but the face is red and swollen. Lymph nodes in the neck and under the armpits are slightly enlarged and slightly painful. In the course of the muscles, dense, small, but painful fibrositis may appear. The illness lasts several days, sometimes weeks, but not more than a month.

Subacute brucellosis. Periods of fever are replaced by periods of normal temperature, the duration of these periods is different, the temperature ranges from subfebrile to very high values. At temperature, paresthesia, joint pain, and heart rhythm disturbances appear. Patients complain of constipation and constant thirst. Fibrosis often occurs, joints suffer. An allergic rash appears on the body.

Chronic brucellosis. It has an undulating course, at intervals of up to 2 months, without high fever and with moderate intoxication. The infection often affects one or more body systems, joints are especially affected, connective tissue lesions in the lumbar region appear (manifested as cellulitis). Joints hurt and deform. The disease can last for several years.

Residual brucellosis. It is a delayed effect of infection. Manifested by a specific reaction – prolonged subfebrile temperature, joint pain, mental disorders.

Treatment of brucellosis and danger of its consequences

In brucellosis, the use of antibiotics in pairs – drugs from different groups, one of which should easily penetrate the cell wall (for example, doxycycline / streptomycin). If necessary, according to indications, anti-inflammatory, detoxifying agents are taken. If the disease recurs, the course of antibacterial drugs is repeated.

The danger of brucellosis is that it can leave behind quite serious diseases – paresis neuropathies, irreversible destruction of joints and ligaments, fertility disorders, and in severe cases, there is a risk of infectious-toxic shock and pericarditis.