How To Spot Brucellosis

Endocarditis

Endocarditis is when the interior lining of an individual's heart muscle experiences inflammation due to some mechanism. Endocarditis caused by brucellosis is a life-threatening and rare complication of the infection. The most common part of an individual's heart to be affected by endocarditis is the aortic valve, which is the valve between the left ventricle and aorta. This type of endocarditis can occur in both mechanical and native cardiac valves. The most prevalent group of individuals who develop this manifestation of brucellosis are those affected by structural heart disease. The microbial infection can occur in surgical intracardiac shunts, septal defects, intracardiac surgical patches, surgical cardiovascular interventions, intracardiac prosthetic devices, nonsurgical cardiovascular interventions, prolonged insertion of a central venous catheter, and nonsurgical intracardiac shunts. The prevalence of endocarditis in this group of individuals is due to the tendency of the brucellosis bacteria to stick to damaged heart tissue.

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Abdominal Pain

Most cases of brucellosis that present with abdominal pain are due to infection of the gastrointestinal tract or a hepatic abscess. The most prevalent route Brucella bacteria take into the body is via an individual's digestive system through the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products, raw meat, bone marrow, or raw liver. The bacteria can move into the stomach and intestines, where it can cause tissue damage that produces inflammation. Swelling from inflammation in the intestinal tract can cause abdominal pain. The bacteria can also make its way into an individual's lymphatic system and hepatic structures, causing damage and inflammation in the spleen and or liver. The bacteria can cause one or both organs to become abnormally enlarged and tender. The enlarged abdominal organs from the brucellosis infection can press on neighboring nerves and produce pain sensations in the patient's abdomen.

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