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Brucellosis and Livestock Handler Safety

Brucellosis is a bacterial disease that can pass from infected animals to people. Anyone who works with livestock, birthing or raw milk should know it exists and who to ask about it.

What is brucellosis?

Brucellosis is an infection caused by bacteria that can affect animals and, less often, people. It is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can spread between animals and humans. Government and veterinary programs monitor it in livestock, and the details differ by state and species.

This article does not give disease numbers or program rules, because they change. The CDC brucellosis pages, your state veterinarian and your own veterinarian hold the current facts.

Awareness is the main goal here. Many people who work with livestock have never been told that this illness exists, so simply knowing the name and the questions to ask is a real safety step.

How could a handler be exposed?

In general terms, exposure can happen through contact with infected animal tissues or fluids, especially around birthing, and through unpasteurized dairy products. Cuts, scrapes and splashes to the eyes or mouth can make contact riskier.

Hunters, veterinarians, processing workers and farm families have all been described as groups that may be exposed, depending on the animals and region. Your veterinarian can tell you whether the disease is a concern near you.

If you are unsure whether your animals could be affected, ask your veterinarian. Do not assume a herd is free of a disease because the animals look healthy, and do not assume it is infected because one animal is sick.

• Birthing and aborted material
• Raw milk and raw dairy products
• Open wounds and splashes
• Contact with animals of unknown health status

What does prevention look like in principle?

Prevention rests on a few ideas: keep infection out of the herd, avoid direct contact with high-risk material, protect skin and eyes, and wash thoroughly after work. Ask your veterinarian which protective gear fits your tasks and how to use it.

Do not choose gear or procedures from memory or from the internet. Specific products and methods are best selected with professional advice.

Tell family members and employees what you learn, including seasonal workers who may not have heard it before. Everyone who touches animals or birthing material deserves the same information.

How do herd health practices help?

Herd-level steps such as testing, vaccination and careful sourcing of new animals are decisions for your veterinarian and animal health officials. They are the main way a farm protects both animals and the people who work with them.

Keep records of animal purchases, abortions and unusual illness. If you see repeated abortions or unexplained problems, call your veterinarian rather than handling the material yourself.

Work with your veterinarian to decide how to dispose of tissue and bedding from birthing or abortions. Local rules apply and vary by state, so confirm with your state animal health official.

What should I do after a possible exposure?

Wash the area well with soap and water and rinse eyes or mouth if they were splashed. Then tell your doctor about the exposure and your work with animals, even if you feel fine, and ask whether follow-up is needed. Symptoms can be general and may appear later.

Do not wait for severe symptoms. Call your doctor, your veterinarian and your local health department. In an emergency, call 911.

Where can I find reliable information?

The CDC brucellosis pages for animal and health professionals explain the disease from a public health view. Your state veterinarian and USDA animal health offices describe monitoring programs in your area. Your doctor can advise about personal risk.

Share what you learn with family and workers. A short conversation about birthing hygiene and raw milk can prevent a lot of worry later.

Keep your veterinarian's and health department's contact details somewhere easy to find, so a question does not wait until the next trip to town.

How should farm families think about raw milk?

Raw milk is a topic where family habits and health advice sometimes differ. Public health agencies describe unpasteurized dairy as a possible way for germs to reach people. Pregnant people, children, older adults and those with weakened immune systems should talk with a health care provider before consuming it.

If you sell or share dairy products, your state health and agriculture departments set the rules, and they vary. Check with them before making decisions for others.

• Ask your doctor about household risk
• Check state rules before selling or sharing
• Keep dairy from unknown animals out of the household

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.