Report of an outbreak of Brucella infection caused by butchering stray sheep

VernacularTitle:一起宰杀流浪羊所致布鲁菌感染暴发的报告
Author: Xianyong LI
Keywords: brucellosis; stray sheep; epidemiology; clinical feature; outbreak
From: Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2017;16(9):855-857
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract: Objective To understand the epidemiological and clinical features of Brucella infection outbreak, provide basis for the timely diagnosis, prevention and control of brucellosis.Methods Epidemiological history, clinical symptoms and signs, auxiliary examination, and therapeutic efficacy of 8 patients with brucellosis and admitted to a hospital between December 2015 and April 2016 were analyzed retrospectively.Results All 8 patients had touched stray sheep and participated in the butchering, all were male patients, with the average age of 50 years;all patients had sweating, fatigue and other symptoms, 7 had a fever, 6 were with lumbago, 3 with muscular soreness, and 2 had a cough.Brucella was cultivated from blood specimens of 8 patients, the specific antibody titers ranged from 1:200 to 1:1 600.All patients recovered from illness through 6-week treatment with rifampin plus levofloxacin, without recurrence after 6-month observation.Conclusion Clinical manifestations of brucellosis are atypical, history of epidemiology should be carefully inquired, combined with etiology, early diagnosis and early treatment can be performed.