Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026
06:23
Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment of Human Brucellar Spondylodiscitis
Published on: May 23, 2021
Sexually transmitted brucellosis in humans.
Eyal Meltzer1, Yechezkel Sidi, Gill Smolen
1Center for Geographic Medicine and Department of Medicine C, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Summary
Sexual transmission of Brucella (the bacteria causing brucellosis) between humans is rare. This study presents two probable cases of husband-to-wife transmission, one with orchidoepididymitis and another with bacteria detected in semen.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
- Sexual Health
Background:
- Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease typically transmitted through contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products.
- Human-to-human transmission of Brucella is exceptionally uncommon, with sexual transmission being particularly rare in documented cases.
Observation:
- This report details two distinct cases suggesting probable sexual transmission of Brucella from infected males to their female partners.
- The first case involved a male partner with orchidoepididymitis, a condition affecting the testes and epididymis.
- The second case identified Brucella in the semen of a male partner without evident genital symptoms, confirmed via polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Findings:
- The study provides evidence supporting the possibility of sexual transmission of Brucella in humans.
- The presence of Brucella in semen, even without clinical signs in the male, indicates a potential route for transmission.
- Orchidoepididymitis in one partner further supports the link between genital infection and potential sexual transmission.
Implications:
- These findings highlight the need to consider sexual transmission as a potential route for brucellosis, especially in endemic areas or specific clinical contexts.
- Further research is warranted to understand the prevalence and mechanisms of sexual transmission of Brucella.
- Clinicians should be aware of this rare transmission route when evaluating patients with brucellosis or related symptoms.
Related Concept Videos
01:28Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
01:26Sexually Transmitted Infections
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are diseases transmitted primarily through unsafe sexual interactions. Bacteria, viruses, or parasites cause them and can result in severe health complications if untreated.ChlamydiaThe bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis is responsible for the disease Chlamydia, the most common STI in the United States. This peculiar pathogen requires human cells to reproduce, residing intracellularly. The initial infection often goes unnoticed because it typically does not...
01:28Amebiasis
Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...
01:30Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes
Spirochetes, unique bacteria in the phylum Spirochaetes, are gram-negative, motile, tightly coiled, slender, and flexible. They inhabit aquatic sediments and animals, with some causing diseases like syphilis. Spirochetes are classified into eight genera based on habitat, pathogenicity, phylogeny, and characteristics.Their distinctive motility arises from endoflagella, located within the cell’s periplasm. These endoflagella anchor at the cell poles and extend along the cell length, encased by a...
01:22American Trypanosomiasis
Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...
01:23Genital Herpes
Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection primarily caused by herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), though herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is increasingly implicated in genital infections, particularly among younger populations. Transmission occurs mainly through sexual contact, with asymptomatic viral shedding serving as a major route of spread. This characteristic makes HSV-2 difficult to control at a population level, as individuals may unknowingly transmit the virus even in the...