Probable breast-milk borne brucellosis in a young infant

Abstract

A young infant with acute brucellosis is reported. He presented with a septicaemia-like picture. Diagnosis was based on a fourfold rise of Brucella agglutination titres and a positive blood culture. He had been exclusively breast-fed when his mother developed brucellosis 4 weeks after delivery. It is strongly suspected that the transmission of Brucella melitensis to this infant was through the maternal breast-milk.