Brucelosis
Reportable by Laboratories and ProvidersAbout this Reportable Disease
Infectious agent: Brucella species (Brucella melitensis, Brucella suis, Brucella abortus, Brucella canis, and others)
Description of illness: Brucellosis is caused by a group of bacteria which infect various animal hosts. The primary hosts are cattle and bison (Brucella abortus), swine (B. suis), sheep and goats (B. melitensis), and dogs (B. canis). Brucella bacteria are found in blood, milk and reproductive organs of infected animals. Humans become infected by inhalation, contact with broken skin, or consuming unpasteurized dairy products or undercooked meat from infected animals. Symptoms generally appear within 5 to 60 days after exposure but may take up to a year. The predominant symptom is fever, often accompanied by chills, sweats and weakness. Other symptoms may include fatigue, headache, weight loss, joint pain, and enlarged lymph nodes, spleen and liver.
Interactive Disease Data
Laboratory Reporting for this Disease
Reporting requirements apply to all laboratories located within Tennessee, as well as laboratories outside of Tennessee that test residents of Tennessee, including laboratories located within healthcare facilities. Healthcare providers and laboratories in the same healthcare facility both have a duty to report. The type of organisms and analytes laboratories must report to TDH for 2026 are indicated, and there are several ways laboratories can report results to TDH.
- Manually report results to TDH by faxing or mailing a completed PH-1600 form to your local health department, or faxing to the state health office at (615) 741-3857
- Automatically submit results to TDH via electronic laboratory reporting (ELR), which automates the process of sharing data with TDH using interoperability standards.
- See the ELR Onboarding Handbook for details on the onboarding process, checklist, frequently asked questions, business rules, message format, and vocabulary.
- To initiate the ELR onboarding process with TDH, register in the Trading Partner Registration (TPR) system TPR provides documentation for Promoting Interoperability (PI) attestation and milestone letters to document onboarding progress. Contact MU.Health@tn.gov for assistance.
- Submit online via NBS. NBS is TDH's reportable disease system. To request an NBS account for reporting Complete this user survey to request an NBS account for reporting.
- Blood lead levels can be sent via fax ( (615) 741-3857), entered online, or reported using the instructions at this link.
Information about this Reportable Disease for Healthcare Providers
Clinical Details
Brucellosis is a bacterial infection transmitted from infected animals or animal products to humans.
Symptoms include fever, sweats, fatigue, headache, and muscle or joint pain; it can become chronic with relapsing fevers or organ involvement.
Human infections are mainly caused by Brucella melitensis, B. abortus, B. suis, and B. canis.
Diagnosis is based on clinical symptoms, exposure history, and laboratory testing (blood cultures or serology).
Treatment requires prolonged antibiotic therapy, often with a combination of drugs, and prevention focuses on avoiding unpasteurized dairy and contact with infected animals.
Clinical Links & Info
Healthcare Provider Reporting
Healthcare reporting requirements apply to all providers located within Tennessee, as well as providers whose patients reside in Tennessee.
Providers must report cases of all diseases and conditions listed through one of these methods:
• Mail or fax a completed PH-1600 form to your local health department or fax to the state health office at (615) 741-3857
• Send automatically via electronic case reporting (eCR). See this TDH webpage for more information on eCR, register at the Trader Partner Registration website, or contact MU.Health@tn.gov for assistance.
• Submit online via NBS. NBS is TDH's reportable disease system. To request an NBS account for reporting Complete this user survey to request an NBS account for reporting.
• Blood lead levels can be sent via fax ( (615) 741-3857), entered online, or reported using the instructions at this link.
Information about this Reportable Disease for the Public
What It Is
A zoonotic infection caused by bacteria in the genus Brucella that are transmitted from infected animals (or their products) to humans
Signs and Symptoms
Initial symptoms often include fever, sweats, malaise, headache, muscle/joint/back pain and fatigue; the illness may become chronic with relapsing fevers, arthritis, endocarditis or organ‑involvement.
Types
Several Brucella species cause disease in humans, notably Brucella melitensis (goats/sheep), Brucella abortus (cattle), Brucella suis (pigs/feral swine) and Brucella canis (dogs); the species influences exposure risk and source.
Treatment
Antibiotic therapy is required (often dual or combination regimens over several weeks); incomplete or delayed treatment may lead to chronic disease.
This Page Last Updated: March 25, 2026 at 8:53 PM