Brucellosis symptoms may disappear for weeks or months and then return. Some people have chronic brucellosis and experience symptoms for years, even after treatment.
Doctors usually confirm a diagnosis of brucellosis by testing blood or bone marrow for the brucella bacteria or by testing blood for antibodies to the bacteria. To help detect complications of brucellosis, your doctor may order additional tests, including: X-rays.
However, it can also cause a disease with flu-like symptoms in humans. People with brucellosis may develop fever, sweats, headaches, back pains, and physical weakness. In severe cases, the central nervous system and the lining of the heart may be affected.
Patients with acute, uncomplicated brucellosis usually recover in 2 to 3 weeks, even without treatment.
Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria. People can get the disease when they are in contact with infected animals or animal products contaminated with the bacteria. Animals that are most commonly infected include sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, and dogs, among others.
CDC utilizes a test called the Brucella microagglutination test (BMAT), a modified version of the serum (tube) agglutination test (SAT), that can detect antibodies to Brucella species – abortus, melitensis or suis.
Depending on the timing of treatment and severity of illness, recovery may take a few weeks to several months. Death from brucellosis is rare, occurring in no more than 2% of all cases. Generally, the antibiotics doxycycline and rifampin are recommended in combination for a minimum of 6-8 weeks.
In some cases, brucellosis may affect the central nervous system (neurobrucellosis). Symptoms of neurobrucellosis include inflammation of the membranes (meninges) surrounding the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and inflammation of the brain (encephalitis).
Brucellosis (pronounced “bru-cell-OH-sis”) is a disease you get from the bacteria Brucella. It can cause vague symptoms like fever, joint pain and sweating that come and go over a long time. Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease, meaning you get it from animals.
After acute brucellosis infection, symptoms persist in a minority of patients for more than 1 year. Such patients are defined as having chronic brucellosis. Since no objective laboratory methods exist to confirm the presence of chronic disease, these patients suffer delays in both diagnosis and treatment.
For simple infections, doxycycline (100 mg PO twice daily for 6 weeks) may be the most appropriate monotherapy; however, relapse rates with such monotherapy approach 40% and as a result, rifampin (600-900 mg/day) is usually added.
The prognosis is generally excellent. Although initial symptoms of brucellosis may be debilitating, if they are treated appropriately and within the first few months of onset, the disease is easily curable, with a low risk of relapse or chronic disease.
Brucellosis seems to affect human immune system and can cause acute, sub-acute and chronic clinical features. In the present study, 73.8%, 22.6% and 3.7% of the patients had the acute, sub-acute and chronic forms of the disease, respectively.
ROLE OF BLOOD CULTURES IN DIAGNOSIS OF HUMAN BRUCELLOSIS
Overall, blood cultures are positive in 53.4 to 90% of patients with brucellosis but the chances of successful isolation of the organism decrease over time (14, 25).
Although neurological symptoms in brucellosis are frequent, central nervous system (CNS) involvement is uncommon. Five patients with neurobrucellosis are presented. Three patients presented with meningoencephalitis, one with polyradiculoneuritis and one with myelitis and an eighth nerve palsy.
Brucellosis symptoms may disappear for weeks or months and then return. Some people have chronic brucellosis and experience symptoms for years, even after treatment.
A study on 400 brucellosis patients in Kuwait showed 6% of the patients developed psychiatric complications with depression and anxiety predominantly in the chronic stage of the disease.
Brucellosis can affect the eye and lead to serious ocular complications. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment should be considered in endemic areas.
Advantages of the Canine Brucella Multiplex Assay
Rapid turn-around time. Negative test results will typically be available within 1 business day.
People who work with animals and are in contact with blood, placenta, foetuses and uterine secretions have an increased risk of contracting the disease. This method of transmission primarily affects farmers, butchers, hunters, veterinarians and laboratory personnel.
Brucella evades the host immune response by affecting macrophage function. Brucella can inhibit IFN-γ mediated phagocytosis and TNF-α expression in macrophages [51]. Infected macrophages can produce proinflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-12) and inflammatory chemokines (GRO-α, IL-8, MCP-1).
Brucellosis is a reportable condition in all states and territories. Brucellosis cases must be reported to jurisdictions when identified by a healthcare provider, hospital, or laboratory.
An abnormal (positive) result usually means you have come in contact with the bacteria that causes brucellosis. However, this positive result does not mean that you have an active infection. Your provider will have you repeat the test after a few weeks to see if the test result increases.
In conclusion, brucella antibodies of 1:320 or higher can persist for more than 2 years after successful treatment and clinical cure. Re-evaluation of diagnostic titer of brucellosis is required in brucella-endemic countries.