Abstract
BackgroundHuman brucellosis is a preventable zoonoses that may become persistent, causing, if left untreated, severe localized disease. Occupational exposure to infected animals or animal products and consumption of fresh contaminated dairy are main risk factors.MethodsOne hundred farmworkers employed at two cattle farms one in Khartoum North and one in Omdurman were screened for the presence of specific antibodies and seropositive workers were invited to donate a blood sample for blood culture. Molecular typing was used to characterize Brucella isolates.ResultsTen percent of farmworkers tested seropositive and while Brucella melitensis biovar 1 was isolated from the blood of three individuals, an isolate identical to the B. abortus S19 vaccine strain was isolated from a fourth person. All four bacteremic individuals were employed as milkers and did not have obvious disease.ConclusionsThe isolation of the highly infectious pathogen B. melitensis from seropositive workers is consistent with the notion that the pathogen may persist in the blood without causing overt disease. While vaccination with strain S19 is essential for the control of bovine brucellosis the vaccine strain may be transmitted to the human population and protective measures remain important to prevent exposure also in view of the presence of B. melitensis. To create awareness for this potentially severe disease more information on the prevalence of the pathogen in different risk groups and in livestock in the Sudan is needed.
Highlights
Brucellosis is an highly infectious and contagious zoonotic disease feared for its debilitating and incapacitating character [1]
Ten percent of farmworkers tested seropositive and while Brucella melitensis biovar 1 was isolated from the blood of three individuals, an isolate identical to the B. abortus S19 vaccine strain was isolated from a fourth person
The isolation of the highly infectious pathogen B. melitensis from seropositive workers is consistent with the notion that the pathogen may persist in the blood without causing overt disease
Summary
Brucellosis is an highly infectious and contagious zoonotic disease feared for its debilitating and incapacitating character [1]. Brucellosis is one of the most important zoonoses and is common in countries and communities where a large proportion of the inhabitants is involved in livestock farming activities, people live in close contact with their animals or consume raw milk and other dairy products prepared from fresh milk. Brucellosis is caused by infection with slow-growing, small, Gram negative, cocco-bacilla bacteria of the genus Brucella [4]. Human brucellosis is a febrile disease capable of masquerading as a myriad of entities, both infectious and non-infectious [7]. Human brucellosis is a preventable zoonoses that may become persistent, causing, if left untreated, severe localized disease. Occupational exposure to infected animals or animal products and consumption of fresh contaminated dairy are main risk factors
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