Brucellosis

Brucellosis is a disease that is caused by bacteria in the "Brucella" genus. It is also called Bang's disease, Crimean fever, Gibraltar fever, Malta fever, Maltese fever, Mediterranean fever, rock fever, and undulant fever. It is a very contagious disease (can be spread very easily from one person to another.) 
Brucellosis is a zoonosis, a disease that is spread from animals to humans. Humans get the disease by drinking milk that is unsterilized, or by eating meat from sick animals. Sometimes, but not very often, the disease can be spread from human to human.
The disease was first called "Malta fever." British doctors in the military first discovered it in Malta during the Crimean War (1850s). Dr. David Bruce was the first person to discover the bacteria that caused brucellosis.