Brucellosis in Egyptian patients with prolonged fever

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted on 43 patients [19 males and 24 females, with a mean age of 27.6 +/- 14.18 years], presenting with fever of more than 3 weeks duration, in addition to 20 healthy subjects serving as a control group. Blood cultures for brucella using biphasic medium were done and proved to be negative for all of them. Brucellosis was diagnosed serologically in 7/43 cases [16.3 percent] using the microagglutination technique. Enteric fever was diagnosed in 9/43 cases [20 percent] using Widal lest. Brucellosis was diagnosed more in the risk groups [Farmers and workers in animal farms]. The possible modes of infection were ingestion of raw milk, fresh cheese or contact with animals. The favorable clinical features of brucella cases were fever, drenching sweats, rigors, arthralgia and backache. All brucella cases responded well treatment with tetracycline and streptomycin