Abstract
Brucellosis causes significant economic damage and public health problems in northwest China. The older rural population is considered a high-risk group. However, the epidemiological characteristics and risk factors for brucellosis in this population remain unclear. This study investigated these factors within this high-risk group by performing a cross-sectional study in five townships of Wuwei City, Gansu Province. Cases were screened via rose Bengal and serum plate agglutination tests. Risk factors were evaluated using a standard questionnaire form. This study included 1074 participants aged >50 years. Among them, 15 (1.4%) tested positive for Brucella. The most common symptoms were arthralgia/myalgia (n=5, 33.3%), and 10 (66.7%) cases were asymptomatic. Raising lambs artificially (odds ratio, 4.7; 95% CI, 1.3-17.0; P=0.02) increased the risk of brucellosis. The results indicated a high proportion of asymptomatic brucellosis in this group. Raising lambs artificially is a risk factor for brucellosis. The surveillance and health education of brucellosis for older rural populations in endemic areas of northwest China should been attention.
Published Version
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