Epidemiological characteristics of human brucellosis in Al-Qassim region, Saudi Arabia, between 2010 and 2014

Abstract

Background: Brucellosis, a zoonotic infection having an important public health issue in endemic countries; Saudi Arabia is one of these countries. The incidence of brucellosis in AlQassim region is much higher than the national one. Evaluation of the epidemiological situation of brucellosis is the first step in prevention and control. The objective was to describe the epidemiological characteristics of brucellosis in Al-Qassim region during the period between 2010 and 2014. Methods: All epidemiological surveillance forms from 2010 to 2014 were analyzed for epidemiological characteristics. Results: There were 4283 notified cases of human brucellosis in AL-Qassim region between 2010 and 2014, the annual incidence decreased from 84.5 to 48.7 per 100,000 populations. The highest number of cases was reported from Uyoon Al-Jawa followed by Buraidah. The number of cases was highest from March to June. and lowest was in November; the male to female ratio was 3:1. Saudis represents 51.1% of cases. The mean age of the cases was 34±15 years; the most common age group was middle age. Shepherds and farmers represent 46.5% of cases. The most common presenting symptoms were fever (79.7%), joint pain (72.7%), and muscle pain (70.9%). The most common antibiotics used as treatment were doxycycline (80.9%) and streptomycin (63.2%). A history of animal contact was the most common risk factor (80.7%), followed by consumption of raw milk (55.6%). Conclusions:There was a marked decrease in the incidence of brucellosis from 2010 to 2014 in the Al-Qassim region. However, continued efforts are needed to eliminate the disease.

Brucellosis in Children: A Single-Center Review of Clinical Manifestation and Antimicrobial Susceptibility

“…Similar observations have been reported in previous Saudi studies [5,8]. Data on signs and symptoms of 1108 human brucellosis in the AL-Qassim region between 2010 and 2014, fever was the most common presenting symptom and accounting for 79.7% of the studied cases [25]. Arthralgia and joint pain and swelling were the second most common presenting symptoms in our study (48.1%) as in the previous one [25].…”

“…In this study, the highest incidence was reported in summer (44.5%) and autumn (29.6%) seasons. A similar high peak of human brucellosis from May to October was also reported in similar Saudi studies [5,25,29], and a report from Jordan [30]. The incidence of brucellosis in humans corresponds to grazing season with an increase in the consumption of unpasteurized milk, camel milk, resulting in a rise in the number of cases in these seasons.…”

“…The disease was found more among male children (80.3%), with a male to female ratio of 4:1, and older children (54.3%). Previous Saudi reports also noticed a higher incidence among male children and older age groups [5,8,25]. In Greece, male predominance was noted for brucellosis; with a male to female ratio of 3:1 was noticed [26].…”

Dual versus triple therapy for uncomplicated brucellosis: A retrospective cohort study

“…There was no statistically significant difference between male and female gender in our study, likely because most infections were acquired via consumption of raw milk or cheese and not via direct contact with infected animals. Several other studies showed that men were more commonly infected than women likely because of their animal-related occupations [11,15]. The mean age of the patients in our study was 49 ± 20 year which is higher than the mean age reported in another study in Saudi Arabia [19].…”

“…A study conducted in Al-Qassim region of Saudi Arabia describing the epidemiological characteristics of 4,283 cases of human brucellosis over five years showed that 51.1% of cases were Saudi citizens, and up to 46.5% were farmers and shepherds. The most common risk factor for the infection was direct contact with livestock animals followed by consumption of unpasteurized dairy products (80.7% and 55.6% respectively) [15].…”