The Development of Brucellosis Eradication Policy in 20th Century United States

The next DAHSM History of Health Sciences Dissertation Seminar will take place on Wednesday, March 13th, from 3:30 – 5:00 pm in Conference Room 474. Rebecca Kaplan, PhD Candidate, UCSF History of Health Sciences Program, will give a talk on her PhD research titled: “ 'The Cattle All Have Brucellosis, We'll Get Through Somehow': The Development of Brucellosis Eradication Policy in 20th Century United States". During the 20th century, brucellosis transformed from an endemic cow condition of unknown origin to an potentially epidemic cattle and human bacterial disease rarely seen in the United States. The development of the state-federal brucellosis eradication program that led to this change hinged not only on the impact of the disease on the agricultural economy, but also on the demands of cattle owners, government health officials, and consumers, the work of researchers in both animal and human health, and the cultural, social, and political climate.