Seroreactivity and Risk Factors Associated with Human Brucellosis among Cattle Slaughterhouse Workers in South Korea

Human Brucellosis in the Rural and Urban Population of Pakistan: Seroprevalence, Risk Factors, and Clinical Manifestations

Brucella spp. is the bacterium responsible for brucellosis, a zoonotic infection that affects humans. This disease poses significant health challenges and contributes to poverty, particularly in developing countries. This study aimed to assess the seroprevalence, risk factors, and clinical symptoms of human brucellosis within the general population of Multan and Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. A total of 307 blood samples were collected from patients visiting local hospitals in Multan and Muzaffargarh between August 2015 and January 2016. Demographic information, risk factors, and clinical outcomes were documented. Serum samples were initially screened for anti-Brucella antibodies using the Rose Bengal Plate Test, and positive cases were subsequently confirmed through RT-PCR. The chi-square test assessed the link between Brucella positivity and the identified risk factors. The study recorded an overall seroprevalence of 6.8%, with 8.9% in Multan and 4.3% in Muzaffargarh. Genus-specific Brucella detection through RT-PCR confirmed that 20 out of 21 samples were positive. Significant associations with human brucellosis were found for contact with aborted animals (p = 0.032) and consumption of raw milk (p = 0.031), while factors such as age, gender, occupation, urbanicity, and geographical region did not show a significant impact on seropositivity (p > 0.05). Non-specific clinical symptoms were commonly observed among seropositive patients. The findings highlight the significance of close human interaction with infected animals, especially concerning livestock practices and dairy product consumption. The results also emphasize the importance of focusing efforts on raising awareness in risky occupations and developing control programs by healthcare authorities.

Molecular prevalence, phylogenetic analysis, and PCR-based detection of Brucella melitensis in humans and cattle in Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Brucellosis is a bacterial disease due to Brucella melitensis, considered a zoonotic agent affecting humans and animals, especially in areas with high disease occurrence, south Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. This work was designed to evaluate the molecular rate of B. melitensis in humans and cattle species and also to perform a phylogenetic analysis between both species. A cross-sectional survey involving 800 participants, including 600 cattle and 200 human participants, underwent blood sample collection with conventional PCR and IS711 locus PCR amplification and Sanger sequencing. The findings detected Brucella melitensis in 37 of the 800 samples, with a molecular prevalence of 3.1 % in cattle and 9 % in humans. The molecular trees play a role in zoonotic transmission and point to the necessity of a further unified approach toward the management of brucellosis in both humans and animals. This is further backed by the use of 95 % C.I for the prevalence rates making the results statistically robust. This research shows that using the IS711 insertion sequence is an efficient and selective method for identifying Brucella species.

Prevalence and associated risk factors of Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis in humans and cattle populations: A comprehensive study

A zoonotic disease unique to South Asia, brucellosis causes major public health and financial problems, notably in Pakistan. This research aimed to ascertain the molecular frequency of Brucella abortus and Brucella melitensis in humans and cattle and to pinpoint related risk factors in the Southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, districts. A total of 800 blood samples, 600 from cattle and 200 from humans, were gathered and examined using traditional PCR targeting the IS711 locus. In humans, the molecular frequency of Brucella melitensis and Brucella abortus was 16.5 %; in cattle, it was 9.1 %. Risk factor analysis in cattle revealed that seasonality, geographic location, sex, and insemination method significantly impacted brucellosis prevalence· Higher risk was observed in female cattle, those naturally inseminated, and during the summer months, particularly in regions such as Bannu· In humans, univariate logistic regression identified potential risk factors, including age (25-50 years), rural residency, lower socioeconomic status, female gender, direct contact with animals, and consumption of raw animal products. However, none of these factors reached statistical significance. The findings underscore the importance of continuous surveillance and targeted preventive measures to control brucellosis transmission between cattle and humans. Understanding the molecular prevalence and risk factors can guide public health strategies and improve livestock management practices to mitigate this zoonotic disease.

Brucellosis: Unveiling the complexities of a pervasive zoonotic disease and its global impacts

One zoonotic infectious animal disease is brucellosis. The bacteria that cause brucellosis belong to the genus Brucella. Numerous animal and human species are affected by brucellosis, with an estimated 500,000 human cases recorded annually worldwide. The occurrence of new areas of infection and the resurgence of infection in already infected areas indicate how dynamically brucellosis is distributed throughout different geographic regions. Bacteria originate from the blood and are found in the reticuloendothelial system, the liver, the spleen, and numerous other locations, including the joints, kidneys, heart, and genital tract. Diagnosis of this disease can be done by bacterial isolation, molecular tests, modified acid-fast stain, rose bengal test (RBT), milk ring test, complement fixation test, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and serum agglutination test. The primary sign of a Brucella abortus infection is infertility, which can result in abortion and the birth of a frail fetus that may go on to infect other animals. In humans, the main symptoms are acute febrile illness, with or without localization signs, and chronic infection. Female cattle have a greater risk of contracting Brucella disease. Human populations at high risk of contracting brucellosis include those who care for cattle, veterinarians, slaughterhouse employees, and butchers. Antibiotic treatment of brucellosis is often unsuccessful due to the intracellular survival of Brucella and its adaptability in macrophages. A "one health" strategy is necessary to control illnesses like brucellosis.

Femoral Head Necrosis Due to Brucella Infection in China: Case Series and Literature Review

Introduction

The causes of femoral head necrosis mainly include trauma, corticosteroid, and alcohol, among which Brucella is highly unusual.

Patients and Methods

This paper reported three rare cases of femoral head necrosis due to Brucella, summarizing and analyzing the epidemiological history, clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, imaging findings, individualized therapy, and biopsy results of patients with this disease. A literature review related to brucellosis and femoral head necrosis was conducted.

Results

All three patients had an epidemic history of brucellosis. They suffered from hip pain and limitation of movement for months, and femoral head necrosis was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Pathological Giemsa staining or real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) confirmed Brucella melitensis (B. melitensis) as the cause of osteonecrosis. Each patient received individualized therapy according to the degree of osteonecrosis, which was based on anti-brucellosis medications and hip puncture and irrigation decompression. They were followed up for more than two years and rehabilitated well.

Conclusion

Brucella infection should always be considered the cause of femoral head necrosis for patients with hip pain, especially for those with an epidemic history; early diagnosis and individual stepwise therapy can prevent the progression of osteonecrosis.

Risk Factors for Acute Brucellosis in Patients on the Day of Admission at Selected Hospitals of Abbottabad, Pakistan

Brucellosis is a neglected zoonotic disease of ruminants. It causes severe health problems in humans and significant economic loss. Only a limited number of studies have been conducted in Pakistan to determine the prevalence of human brucellosis and related risk factors. The objectives of the current cross-sectional study were to determine the prevalence of anti-Brucella antibodies in sera collected from symptomatic patients at three hospitals of Abbottabad using a commercial slide agglutination test (SAT) and to determine risk factors for brucellosis for these patients. Five hundred blood samples were collected. A questionnaire was filled in for each patient to obtain information on age, gender, living area, brucellosis associated symptoms, associated risk factors, pregnancy and abortion history. A total of 13.6% (n = 68) patients were found to be SAT positive and in 83.3% (n = 57) of these samples Brucella DNA was detected by genus specific RT-PCR for BCSP-31 gene. Statistical analysis was performed to determine odd ratios, risk ratios, 95% confidence intervals, and p-values. The prevalence of brucellosis by SAT was reported to be higher in women (14.6%, n = 44) than in men (12.1%, n = 24). The age group 25–50 years was found to be at higher risk for brucellosis (14.5%, n = 50) “animal contact” was reported as the main risk factor followed by “consumption of raw animal products.” Out of 131 pregnant women and 21 patients had abortion, the seropositivity of Brucellosis was 9.9% and 23.8%, respectively. The present study reports a striking prevalence of brucellosis among patients including pregnant women at three hospitals of Abbottabad. These findings may foster strategies for controlling human brucellosis at household level, raising of awareness about brucellosis in hospital and family doctors, and finally in setting up an eradication program in the dairy industry.

Factors Associated with Human Brucellosis among patients Attending in Ayu Primary Hospital, North Showa, Ethiopia: ACase Control Study

BACKGROUND

Brucellosis is a disease of domestic and wild animals commonly caused by Brucella species and can be transmitted to humans (zoonosis). Susceptibility to Brucellosis in Humans depends on immune status, routes of infection, size of the inoculums, and to some extent, the species of Brucella. Globally more than 500,000 new cases are reported each year. In sub-Saharan Africa, Brucellosis prevalence is unclear and poorly understood with varying reports from country to country, geographical regions as well as animal factors.

METHODS

Facility-based unmatched case-control study was conducted on 167 patients with human brucellosis and 332 controls from February 27/2019 to May 20/2019 in AYU primary hospital, North Showa Zone, Ethiopia. descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentages were used to describe the profile of case and control and analytical statistics such as bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the determinants of human brucellosis.

RESULT

A total of 499 participants were included with a response rate of 99.60%. The mean age of participants was 45.46 years with a standard deviation (SD) of ±12.96 years. Human brucellosis had a statistically significant association with raw milk consumptions (AOR 5.75[95%CI 1.97-16.76]), slaughtering of animals at home(AOR 14.81[95%CI 3.63-60.38]), having contact with animal manure(AOR 2.87 [CI 1.08-7.62]), having contact with aborted cattle's fetus (AOR 3.01[95%CI 1.34-9.13]) and knowledge about brucellosis(AOR 0.29 [95%CI 0.08-0.83].

CONCLUSION

Generally in this study knowledge about Human Brucellosis, contact with animal manures, practicing animal slaughtering at home, having contact with animal ruminants, and consuming raw milk were identified as determinants for human brucellosis infection.