Brucellosis due to Brucella suis

This code identifies a systemic bacterial infection, brucellosis, specifically caused by the Brucella suis species. This zoonotic disease can manifest with a variety of symptoms including fever, sweats, malaise, arthralgia, and organ involvement, often affecting the reticuloendothelial system.

Assign this code when documentation clearly indicates a diagnosis of brucellosis and laboratory confirmation or strong clinical suspicion points to Brucella suis as the causative agent. This is typically seen in individuals with occupational exposure to swine or wild boars, or consumption of contaminated pork products.

• Ensure the specific Brucella species, suis, is documented to support this code. If the species is unspecified, a more general brucellosis code should be used.
• Consider sequencing this code as the primary diagnosis when brucellosis is the reason for the encounter.
• Look for documentation of exposure history (e.g., swine farming, hunting) to reinforce the diagnosis.