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Bugeza JK, Roesel K, Mugizi DR, Alinaitwe L, Kivali V, Kankya C, Moriyon I, Cook EAJ. Sero-prevalence and risk factors associated with occurrence of anti-Brucella antibodies among slaughterhouse workers in Uganda. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012046. [PMID: 38498555 PMCID: PMC10977895 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Brucellosis is a febrile zoonosis occurring among high-risk groups such as livestock keepers and abattoir workers and is a public health priority in Uganda. The technical complexities of bacteriological and molecular methods make serological approaches the cornerstone of diagnosis of human brucellosis in resource limited settings. Therefore, proper application and interpretation of serological tests is central to achieve a correct diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate the seroprevalence and factors associated with anti-Brucella antibodies among slaughterhouse workers processing ruminants and pigs in three regions of the country with serial testing using a combination of the Rose Bengal Test (RBT) and the BrucellaCapt test. An authorized clinician collected 543 blood samples from consenting abattoir workers as well as attribute medical and social demographic data. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were used to determine factors associated with anti-Brucella sero-positivity. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The sero-prevalence among ruminant slaughterhouse workers ranged from 7.3% (95% CI: 4.8-10.7) using BrucellaCapt to 9.0% (95% CI: 6.3-12.7) using RBT. Slaughterhouse workers from the Eastern regions (AOR = 9.84, 95%CI 2.27-69.2, p = 0.006) and those who graze animals for alternative income (AOR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.91-6.63, p = 0.040) were at a higher risk of exposure to Brucella. Similarly, those who wore Personal Protective Equipment (AOR = 4.83, 95%CI:1.63-18.0, p = 0.009) and those who slaughter cattle (AOR = 2.12, 95%CI: 1.25-6.0, p = 0.006) were at a higher risk of exposure to Brucella. Those who slaughter small ruminants (AOR = 1.54, 95%CI: 1.32-4.01, p = 0.048) were also at a higher risk of exposure to Brucella. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Our study demonstrates the combined practical application of the RBT and BrucellaCapt in the diagnosis of human brucellosis in endemic settings. Both pharmaceutical (e.g., routine testing and timely therapeutic intervention), and non-pharmaceutical (e.g., higher index of suspicion of brucellosis when investigating fevers of unknown origin and observation of strict abattoir hygiene) countermeasures should be considered for control of the disease in high-risk groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Katamba Bugeza
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kampala, Uganda
- National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), Kampala, Uganda
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB), Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Kristina Roesel
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Lordrick Alinaitwe
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kampala, Uganda
- Veterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Velma Kivali
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kampala, Uganda
- Institute of Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health, Freie University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Clovice Kankya
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB), Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Ignacio Moriyon
- Departamento Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Navarra, Edificio de Investigación c/Irunlarrea 1, Pamplona, Spain
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Zhou C, Huang W, Xiang X, Qiu J, Xiao D, Yao N, Shu Q, Zhou S. Outbreak of occupational Brucella infection caused by live attenuated Brucella vaccine in a biological products company in Chongqing, China, 2020. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:2544-2552. [PMID: 36178040 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2130099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The northern areas of China are traditional endemic regions for brucellosis in both animals and humans, while occasional outbreaks of brucellosis have been observed in neglected southern provinces. On December 16, 2020, Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CQCDC) received a report of 15 Brucella seropositive employees in a biological products company. The CQCDC and the local health administrative department launched an investigation that included identification of cases, laboratory testing of samples, and employees' interview to identify the cause of this incident. A case-control study was implemented to compare high-risk factors between cases and serology-negative personals. Human and animal serum samples, and environmental swabs were collected for testing. A total of 61 recessive infectors were found with an infection rate of 43.57% (61/140). Fisher's exact test showed that there were significant differences in Brucella infection rates among different posts classifications (p=0.02), working places (p=0.007), and buildings (p<0.0001). Case-control study showed that working in vaccine production workshop was independently associated with increased risk of infection (odds ratio (OR): 2.60; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.31-5.19). The positive detection rate was 88.06% (59/67) for production environment and 16.67% (2/12) for external environment. The investigation indicated that close contact with biological products and aerosol were the potential transmission routes of this outbreak under the condition of insufficient personal protection and disinfection. Our study provides new epidemiological evidence for a more detailed understanding of occupational infections with live attenuated Brucella vaccine.Highlights An Outbreak of occupational Brucella infection was caused by Brucella vaccine.Contacting with biological products and aerosol were potential transmission routes.This is new evidence for the virulent characteristics of attenuated Brucella vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunbei Zhou
- Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing 400042, China.,Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University) Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Wenli Huang
- Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing 400042, China
| | - Xu Xiang
- Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing 400042, China
| | - Jianping Qiu
- Rongchang District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing 402460, China
| | - Dayong Xiao
- Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing 400042, China
| | - Ning Yao
- Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing 400042, China.,Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University) Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Qiang Shu
- Rongchang District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing 402460, China
| | - Shuang Zhou
- Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing 400042, China
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Rickettsia burneti and Brucella melitensis co-infection: a case report and literature review. BMC Microbiol 2021; 21:270. [PMID: 34610810 PMCID: PMC8493673 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-021-02323-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Rickettsia is the pathogen of Q fever, Brucella ovis is the pathogen of brucellosis, and both of them are Gram-negative bacteria which are parasitic in cells. The mixed infection of rickettsia and Brucella ovis is rarely reported in clinic. Early diagnosis and treatment are of great significance to the treatment and prognosis of brucellosis and Q fever. Here, we report a case of co-infection Rickettsia burneti and Brucella melitensis. The patient is a 49-year-old sheepherder, who was hospitalized with left forearm trauma. Three days after admission, the patient developed fever of 39.0°C, accompanied by sweating, fatigue, poor appetite and headache. Indirect immunofluorescence (IFA) was used to detect Rickettsia burneti IgM. After 72 hours of blood culture incubation, bacterial growth was detected in aerobic bottles, Gram-negative bacilli were found in culture medium smear, the colony was identified as Brucella melitensis by mass spectrometry. Patients were treated with doxycycline (100 mg bid, po) and rifampicin (600 mg qd, po) for 4 weeks. After treatment, the symptoms disappeared quickly, and there was no sign of recurrence or chronic infection. Q fever and Brucella may exist in high-risk practitioners, so we should routinely detect these two pathogens to prevent missed diagnosis.
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Pereira CR, Cotrim de Almeida JVF, Cardoso de Oliveira IR, Faria de Oliveira L, Pereira LJ, Zangerônimo MG, Lage AP, Dorneles EMS. Occupational exposure to Brucella spp.: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008164. [PMID: 32392223 PMCID: PMC7252629 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Brucellosis is a neglected zoonotic disease of remarkable importance worldwide. The focus of this systematic review was to investigate occupational brucellosis and to identify the main infection risks for each group exposed to the pathogen. Seven databases were used to identify papers related to occupational brucellosis: CABI, Cochrane, Pubmed, Scielo, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science. The search resulted in 6123 studies, of which 63 were selected using the quality assessment tools guided from National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Case Report Guidelines (CARE). Five different job-related groups were considered greatly exposed to the disease: rural workers, abattoir workers, veterinarians and veterinary assistants, laboratory workers and hunters. The main risk factors and exposure sources involved in the occupational infection observed from the analysis of the articles were direct contact with animal fluids, failure to comply with the use of personal protective equipment, accidental exposure to live attenuated anti-brucellosis vaccines and non-compliance with biosafety standards. Brucella species frequently isolated from job-related infection were Brucella melitensis, Brucella abortus, Brucella suis and Brucella canis. In addition, a meta-analysis was performed using the case-control studies and demonstrated that animal breeders, laboratory workers and abattoir workers have 3.47 [95% confidence interval (CI); 1.47-8.19] times more chance to become infected with Brucella spp. than others individuals that have no contact with the possible sources of infection. This systematic review improved the understanding of the epidemiology of brucellosis as an occupational disease. Rural workers, abattoir workers, veterinarians, laboratory workers and hunters were the groups more exposed to occupational Brucella spp. infection. Moreover, it was observed that the lack of knowledge about brucellosis among frequently exposed professionals, in addition to some behaviors, such as negligence in the use of individual and collective protective measures, increases the probability of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carine Rodrigues Pereira
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | | | - Luciana Faria de Oliveira
- Programa Nacional de Controle e Erradicação da Brucelose e Tuberculose Animal, Instituto Mineiro de Agropecuária, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Luciano José Pereira
- Departamento de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Andrey Pereira Lage
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Buhmann G, Paul F, Herbst W, Melzer F, Wolf G, Hartmann K, Fischer A. Canine Brucellosis: Insights Into the Epidemiologic Situation in Europe. Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:151. [PMID: 31214601 PMCID: PMC6554662 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Brucella canis is one of many responsible pathogens of discospondylitis in dogs and infections require specific management. Little is known about the epidemiologic situation in Europe. The purpose of the study was to get insights into the occurrence of brucellosis in dogs in Europe. The database of a European veterinary laboratory was screened for Brucella positive samples. Additionally, medical records of a veterinary hospital in Germany were screened for diagnosis of discospondylitis and brucellosis. The laboratory received samples from 20 European countries for Brucella testing in dogs: 3.7% of submitted samples were Brucella spp. PCR-positive (61/1,657), and Brucella canis antibodies were identified in 5.4% of submitted samples (150/2,764). Brucella spp. PCR-positive samples originated from Spain (11.1% of submitted samples), Poland (6.7% of submitted samples) and rarely from Italy and France. Samples with Brucella canis antibodies originated from 13 European countries (Sweden, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Finland, Germany, Denmark, Hungary, Norway, Poland, France, Netherlands). Young dogs (0–24 months) had a 5.4-fold increased risk of PCR positive samples. The supplementary medical records search identified four young female dogs (7–30 months) with Brucella canis discospondylitis in Germany. The four dogs had been imported to Germany from Eastern European countries (Moldavia, Romania, Macedonia). In conclusion, infection with Brucella canis needs to be considered in dogs in Europe and diagnostics for Brucella canis infection appear indicated in young dogs with discospondylitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gesine Buhmann
- Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Werner Herbst
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Hygiene and Infectious Diseases of Animals, University of Giessen, Gießen, Germany
| | - Falk Melzer
- Institute of Bacteriological Infections and Zoonosis, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Jena, Germany
| | - Georg Wolf
- Department of Veterinary Science, Institute for Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Katrin Hartmann
- Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Andrea Fischer
- Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
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Zange S, Schneider K, Georgi E, Scholz HC, Antwerpen MH, Walter MC, Zoeller L, von Buttlar H, Borde JP. A headache with surprising outcome: first case of brucellosis caused by Brucella suis biovar 1 in Germany. Infection 2019; 47:863-868. [PMID: 31073709 DOI: 10.1007/s15010-019-01312-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
In July 2018, brucellosis was diagnosed in a German patient without a travel history to regions endemic for Brucella. Microbiological analysis, including whole-genome sequencing, revealed Brucella suis biovar 1 as the etiologic agent. Core-genome-based multilocus sequence-typing analysis placed the isolate in close proximity to strains originating from Argentina. Notably, despite a strong IgM response, the patient did not develop Brucella-specific IgG antibodies during infection. Here, we describe the clinical course of infection, the extensive epidemiological investigations, and discuss possible routes of transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Zange
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937, Munich, Germany. .,National Consultant Laboratory for Brucellosis, 80937, Munich, Germany.
| | - Kim Schneider
- Ortenauklinikum Offenburg-Gengenbach, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 77654, Offenburg, Germany
| | - Enrico Georgi
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937, Munich, Germany
| | - Holger C Scholz
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937, Munich, Germany.,National Consultant Laboratory for Brucellosis, 80937, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Lothar Zoeller
- Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology, 80937, Munich, Germany.,National Consultant Laboratory for Brucellosis, 80937, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Johannes P Borde
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine II, University of Freiburg, Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.,Praxis Dr. J. Borde/Gesundheitszentrum Oberkirch, 77704, Oberkirch, Germany
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Olsen SC, Boggiatto P, White DM, McNunn T. Biosafety Concerns Related toBrucellaand Its Potential Use as a Bioweapon. APPLIED BIOSAFETY 2018. [DOI: 10.1177/1535676018771983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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