- Case counts (2016-2025), population estimates (2016-2023), & population projections (2024-2025): Public Health Ontario.
- Query: Case counts of reportable diseases by public health unit and year. Toronto, ON: Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion; extracted on March 9, 2026.
Brucellosis
Brucellosis is a disease caused by several species of the Brucella bacterium. The disease can affect livestock; however, Canadian cattle have been declared brucellosis-free since 1985.
Brucellosis may be spread to people when they consume unpasteurized/raw dairy products or are in close contact with infected animals. Those who work with livestock are at greater risk of infection.
Human infections in Ontario are rare.
Local Information
2025 Statistics
Incidence rate is the number of new cases of disease divided by the number of persons at risk for the disease during a particular time period.
Cases
0*
Incidence rate per 100,000 in 2025: 0
*Includes confirmed cases in 2025.
Incidence rate per 100,000 of Brucellosis by year
More Information about Brucellosis
National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases
Report to the Health Unit immediately by fax (705-482-0670) and phone at 705-474-1400 or toll free at 1-800-563-2808, ext. 5229 if brucellosis is suspected or confirmed as per Ontario Regulation 135/18 and amendments under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O., c.H.7.
After hours, weekends, and holidays, call 705-474-1400 then press 0 to speak with the Answering Service. The on-call CDC Public Health Nurse will get back to you as soon as possible.
Should one go to childcare, school, or work if they have brucellosis?
No exclusion necessary. Person to person transmission is extremely rare.
Healthcare provider information
Treatment depends on clinical symptoms and age of the case; antibiotics are usually prescribed for six weeks to prevent recurring infection.
Refer to the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease: Brucellosis for additional information.
Infection prevention and control
For hospitalized cases, routine practices are recommended and contact precautions are indicated when dealing with individuals with draining wounds and/or lesions.
Refer to the following Public Health Ontario (PHO) webpages for human diagnostic testing:
Public Health Ontario
Ministry of Health - Ontario Public Health Standards
Contact our Communicable Disease Control (CDC) program at 705-474-1400 or toll free at 1-800-563-2808, ext. 5229, or by email to cdc@healthunit.ca for more information.
Last updated: Apr 2026, by CDC