Brucellosis is a zoonosis caused by igestion

Brucellosis is a zoonosis caused by ingestion of unpasteurized milk from infected animals, or close contact with their secretions

2. Brucellosis
Done by
Dr/Abdullah Mohd. Jan
King Abdulaziz University Hospital
MBBS, Intern

3. Introduction
Brucellosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by
infection with the bacterial genus Brucella.
It causes more than 500,000 infections per year
worldwide.
The heaviest disease burden lies in countries of
the Mediterranean basin and Arabian Peninsula.

4. Introduction
The annual number of reported cases in
United States (now approximately 100 cases)
has dropped significantly because of
aggressive animal vaccination programs and
milk pasteurization.
Human brucellosis carries a low mortality rate
(<5%), mostly secondary to endocarditis,
which is a rare complication of brucellosis.

5. Classifications
The traditional classification of Brucella species
is based largely on the preferred hosts.
OrganismAnimal ReservoirGeographic Distribution
B melitensisGoats, sheep, camels
Mediterranean, Asia,
Latin America, parts of
Africa and some southern
European countries
B abortus
Cows, buffalo, camels,
yaks
Worldwide
B suisPigs (biotype 1-3)
South America, Southeast
Asia, United States
Brucella canisCaninesCosmopolitan

6. Causes
•Ingestion of unpasteurized milk and related dairy
products.
•Aerosolization of fluids, contamination of skin
abrasions, and splashing of mucous membranes among
slaughterhouse workers , farmers and shepherds.
•Veterinarians are usually infected by inadvertent
inoculation of animal vaccines against B abortus and B
melitensis.
•Laboratory workers (microbiologists) are exposed by
processing specimens (aerosols) without special
precautions.

7. Clinical Presentation
•Subclinical brucellosis
•Acute or subacute brucellosis
•Chronic brucellosis
•Localized brucellosis.
•Relapsing brucellosis

8. Symptoms
•Fever is the most common symptom which is
associated with chills.
•Constitutional symptoms of brucellosis including
anorexia, asthenia, fatigue, weakness, and malaise
(>90% of cases).
•Bone and joint symptoms include arthralgias, low
back pain, spine and joint pain, and, rarely, joint
swelling.

9. Symptoms
•Neuropsychiatric symptoms of brucellosis are
common including Headache, depression, and fatigue.
•Gastrointestinal symptoms include abdominal pain,
constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting.
•Neurologic symptoms of brucellosis can include
weakness, dizziness, unsteadiness of gait and
urinary retention.

10. Symptoms
•Cough and dyspnea develop in up to 19% of
persons with brucellosis; however, these
symptoms are rarely associated with active
pulmonary involvement.

11. Signs
•Fever which is associated with relative
bradycardia.
•Hepatosplenomegaly (or isolated
hepatomegaly or splenomegaly).
•Osteoarticular findings can include tenderness
and swelling over affected joints, bursitis,
decreased range of motion, and joint effusion
(rare).

12. Signs
•Neurologic findings vary according to the
presentation of neurologic disease, as follows:
–Acute meningoencephalitis (most common
neurological manifestation) - Depressed level of
consciousness, meningeal irritation, cranial nerve
involvement, coma, seizure, and respiratory
depression
–Peripheral polyradiculoneuropathy - Hypotonia and
areflexia in most cases, paraparesis, and an absence
of sensory involvement

13. Signs
- Diffuse CNS involvement - Spasticity, hyperreflexia,
clonus, extensor plantar response, sensorineural
hearing loss, cranial nerve involvement, and
cerebellar signs.
•Cutaneous manifestations including erythema
nodosum, papulonodular eruption, impetigo or
vasculitic lesions.

14. Signs
•Ocular findings can include uveitis,
keratoconjunctivitis, optic neuritis or cataract.

15. DDx
•Ankylosing Spondylitis and Undifferentiated Spondyloarthropathy
•Cryptococcosis
•Hepatitis, Viral
•Histoplasmosis
•Infectious Mononucleosis
•Infective Endocarditis
•Leptospirosis

16. DDx
•Tuberculosis
• Influenza
•Tuberculosis of the Genitourinary System
•Malaria
•Typhoid Fever

17. Work up
•CBC shows leukopenia, relative lymphocytosis
or pancytopenia.
•LFT shows slight elevation
•Blood culture has sensitivity of 60% and
subcultures are still adviced for at least 4
weeks.
•Bone marrow culture has sensitivity of 80-
90%.

18. Work up
•Serology
1.Serum tube agglutination test.
2.Tray agglutination test
titers of more than 1:160 in conjunction with
compatible clinical presentation is considered
highly suggestive of infection. Titers of more
than 1:320 are considered to be more specific,
especially in endemic areas.

19. Work up
3.ELISA
it measures IgM,IgG and IgA allowing for
better interpretation.
4.PCR
it is used for rapid and accurate diagnosis of
brucellosis.

20. Work up
•Histological findings:
it include mixed inflammatory infiltrates with
lymphocytic predominance and granulomas
(in up to 55% of cases) with necrosis.

21. Management
•The World Health Organization recommends the
following for adults and children older than 8
years:
–Doxycycline 100 mg PO bid and rifampin 600-900 mg/d
PO: Both drugs are to be given for 6 weeks (more
convenient but probably increases the risk of relapse).
–Doxycycline 100 mg PO bid for 6 weeks and
streptomycin 1 g/d IM daily for 2-3 weeks: This
regimen is believed to be more effective, mainly in
preventing relapse.

22. Management
–Gentamicin can be used as a substitute for
streptomycin and has shown equal efficacy.
–Ciprofloxacin-based regimens have shown equal
efficacy to doxycycline-based regimens.

23. Management
•Children younger than 8 years:
The use of rifampin and trimethoprim-
sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) for 6 weeks is
the therapy of choice. Relapse rate appears to
be approximately 5% or less.

24. Management
•Surgical Care
The role of surgery in patients with brucellosis
lies in the treatment of endocarditis or
drainage of focal abscesses.

25. Management
•Consultations
Infectious disease specialist
Cardiothoracic surgery specialist if
endocarditis is suspected or documented