ABSTRACT
Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease that has a worldwide distribution, and it remains as a major source of disease for both humans and domestics animals particularly in the Mediterranean region
Study hypothesis: one of the main characteristics of brucellosis is its marked tendency to relapse in spite of proper management. Since almost 90% of the relapses occur during the first 6 months following conclusion of treatment, strict follow up is necessary during this period in order to detect any relapses as soon as possible and to provide adequate therapy
Aim of the study: evaluation of the impact of continued occupational exposure of the already diagnosed Brucella cases
Subject and method: in our study we followed up 66 Brucella sero-positive workers from El-Minia slaughterhouses during their first 12 months post treatment. The study showed a high suspicion of relapse or re-infection in nearly one third of cases [20 cases]. Further work up was done for those cases to document the exact active brucellosis in general clinical practice
Result: our finding confirmed that programs for post treatment follow up of patients with brucellosis should include the appropriate clinical examination together with blood culture and serological tests. The high index of suspicion for relapse based on clinical examination was further confirmed to be positive on serological testing and by PCR assays, which indicated positive active brucellosis in 8 cases out of these suspicious twenty cases. However, blood cultures failed to prove brucellosis in three cases out of these cases diagnosed by PCR
Recommendation: we recommend that proper treatment of brucellosis must be followed by post treatment continuous follow up for at least one year as a preventive measure for relapses