Epidemiological Characteristics Of Brucellosis Research Articles

Brucellosis in children in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the period 2000 - 2013.

To analyse clinical, laboratory and epidemiological characteristics of brucellosis in children in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The study included 246 children aged 0-18 years, who were hospitalized in Clinics and Departments for Infectious Diseases in Tuzla, Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Zenica and Bihać in the period 2000-2013, in whom the diagnosis of brucellosis was established based on anamnestic data, clinical features and positive results from blood culture and/or positive results from one of the serological tests. In this period, a total of 2630 patients, 246 (9.35%) of whom were children, were treated from brucellosis at the Clinics and Departments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the majority of cases, the children were from rural parts of the country, 226 (91.87%);214 (87.04%) cases had direct contact with sick animals, sick family member or consumption of unpasteurized dairy products from farms where brucellosis had been already established. Male children predominated, 157 (63.82%). The most frequent clinical features in affected children were fever, 194 (78.86%) and joint pain, 158 (64.22%). The average duration of antimicrobial treatment was 42.85 ± 10.67 days. A total of 228 (92.68%) children were completely cured, while relapses occurred in 18 (7.32%) children. Since brucellosis is an endemic disease in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is important that physicians in their daily practice consider brucellosis and establish proper diagnosis and therapy in children with prolonged fever, arthralgia, leukopenia and positive epidemiological data, especially in rural parts of the country.

Epidemiological Characteristics of Brucellosis in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

To analyze the frequency and distribution of human brucellosis in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the period 2001-2008, and measures and activities undertaken for prevention and control of the disease. In this descriptive, retrospective study, we used official reports on infectious diseases from public health institutes at the federal and cantonal level, as well as epidemiological surveys. For comparison with animal brucellosis cases, we used the distribution data from veterinary surveillance. Since 2001, the number of infected people has rapidly increased and brucellosis has become a very important public health problem. In the period 2001-2008, there were 1639 human brucellosis cases and the number of cases increased every year. The morbidity rate over the study period ranged from 3.8 to 33.4 per 100,000 inhabitants. According to epidemiological surveys, in villages human brucellosis was transmitted mostly by contact with infected animals and their products, and in cities by consumption of dairy products made from contaminated, unpasteurized milk. When test-and-slaughter control approach was used, the prevalence of seropositive livestock was 4.6% and approximately 70,000 animals were slaughtered after testing between 2001 and 2008. From 1 June 2009, this approach was replaced with mass vaccination of sheep and goats. The large number of human brucellosis cases and seropositive livestock poses a very serious problem for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The solution may be the introduction of mass vaccination.

Epidemiological analysis on brucellosis in Jinan City of Shandong Province in 2007

Objective To evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of brucellosis in Jinan, Shandong Province, and to analyze epidemic trend and its cause. Methods Epidemic data of human brucellosis from 2004 to 2007 in Jinan were collected from National Disease Supervision Information Management System. The rose bengal plate agglutination test(RBPT) and standard tube agglutination test(SAT) were employed to detect brucellosis in the serum samples of high-risk exposure groups involved in livestock transaction, slaughter and raising where brucellosis had been outbreak in the last three years, and epidemiological survey was conducted on the confirmed patients in 2007. Results A total of 32 brucellosis cases occurred in 2004-2007 in Jinan, among which 15 cases in 2007, 3.75 times(15/4) of those in 2004. One hundred and seventy-eight blood samples were collected from high risk population, and positive detective rate was 11.24%(20/178). Most of the patients were found in Zhangqiu and in the months from March to September, accounting for 93.33% (14/15). Farmers accounted for 93.33% (14/15) in all cases. Sixty-six point six seven percent(10/15) of the patients were over 50 years old. Male to female was 2.75: 1(11: 4) in ratio. There was a tendency of family aggregation. Two or three cases occurred in each of 3 families. All cases had a contact history with cattle and sheep, and the diagnosis were confirmed between 17-529 days(median being 70 days), in which 86.67%(13/15) of the cases were confirmed by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Conclusions Brucellosis epidemic of Jinan is in an upward trend. Zhangqiu is the main epidemic region. Spring and summer are the prevailing periods, most of the patients are old male farmers were the majority of the patients. It is believed that the epidemic is primarily due to potential infection sources, incompetent quarantine of imported livestock and poor awareness of self-protection among high-risk occupational groups. Key words: Brucellosis; Epidemiology; Outcome assessment