OBJECTIVETo investigate the epidemic status of brucellosis in the occupational population in Yuxi, China, and to develop effective prevention and control strategies.

METHODSSerological test was performed for 2320 employees involved in breeding, slaughtering, meat and dairy product processing, veterinary medicine, and sales in counties and districts where brucellosis was detected from 2008 to 2014 in Yuxi; pathogenic detection was performed for those in the occupational population who were suspected of brucellosis.

RESULTSThe results of serological test showed that the infection rate of brucellosis reached 3.32% , and 15 cases of brucellosis had clinical symptoms. The employees involved in breeding had the highest infection rate (4.89%) (χ2=25.75, P<0.05). From 2008 to 2014, the infection rate of brucellosis was 0.37%~4.93% and tended to increase; 67.85% of the occupational population did not take personal protective measures and had a significantly higher infection rate than those who took personal protective measures (4.45% vs 0.94%; χ2=19.42, P<0.05). Among the 161 patients suspected of brucellosis, 42 cases were diagnosed as current brucellosis confirmed by laboratory pathogenic detection.

CONCLUSIONThe infection rate of brucellosis and the number of newly diagnosed cases tend to increase in the occupational population in Yuxi, and the employees involved in breeding are the major infected population.

Animal Husbandry ; Brucellosis ; epidemiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Dairying ; Humans ; Meat ; Occupational Diseases ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Veterinary Medicine

Objective: To investigate the antimicrobial susceptibility of Brucella and to provide a scientific basis for rational drug use and effective treatment of patients with brucellosis. Methods: A total of 41 Brucella strains were isolated from the blood of patients with brucellosis in 5 counties and 2 districts in Yuxi City, China from 2014 to 2016. The susceptibility to 23 antimicrobial drugs was tested using Kirby-Bauer (K-B) disk diffusion method and the sizes of antimicrobial rings were recorded. The susceptibility testing results were interpreted according to the Drug Susceptibility Testing Guideline (2009 version) . Results: The susceptibility rate of Brucella was 100.00% to ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and amikacin and >90% to cefotaxime, cefepime, imipenem, doxycycline, cefoperazone, minocycline, tobramycin, rifampicin, cefoperazone/sulbactam, and chloramphenicol. The high resistance to aztreonam and ampicillin was observed (87.80% and 41.46%). Doxycycline-intermediate strains, rifampicin-intermediate strains, and rifampicin-resistant strains were identified. Conclusion Doxycycline and rifampicin are commonly used in the treatment of brucellosis, but doxycycline/rifampicin-intermediate and-resistant strains have been identified. The susceptibility of Brucella to fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins was high, so the two drugs can be considered in the treatment of brucellosis.