Acute Febrile Illness Caused by Brucella Abortus Infection in Humans in Pakistan

Abstract

Brucellosis is a zoonosis of great and worldwide public health concern that can cause a severe febrile illness in humans. In Pakistan, brucellosis is a critical problem in both animals and humans. This study aimed to gain insight into its prevalence and to analyze the potential risk factors of patients with acute febrile illness (AFI) of an unknown cause, at the hospitals of Rawalpindi and Islamabad in Pakistan. In total, 446 blood samples were collected from patients and screened for brucellosis using the Rose Bengal Plat Test (RBPT). All the serum samples were investigated for Brucella DNA using specific real-time PCR. Age, sex, occupation, urbanicity, socioeconomic status and history of animal contact were recorded and assessed as potential risk factors. The proportion of acute febrile illness patients for whom brucellosis could be suspected was 10.1% by the RBPT. Brucella DNA was detected in 26 (5.8%) cases and identified as B. abortus. Contact with infected animals, consumption of raw milk and socioeconomic status showed a highly significant (p < 0.05) correlation with seropositivity. Elderly patients (19.7% RBPT and 12.1% PCR) and females (13% RBPT and 9.3% PCR) were of high risk of brucellosis. Patients suffering from brucellosis-related manifestations should be screened for brucellosis, especially those in contact with animals or those consuming their unprocessed products, given the increased risk. The results of this study, which highlight that Brucella abortus as an important cause of acute febrile illnesses in humans, aid the development of effective control strategies for human brucellosis in Pakistan.

Seroprevalence and Molecular Identification of Brucella spp. in Bovines in Pakistan—Investigating Association With Risk Factors Using Machine Learning

“…Brucella abortus DNA was detected in sera from 13 cattle and 18 buffalo cows. This current finding agrees with previous reports indicating the endemicity of B. abortus in bovines in Pakistan ( 17 , 21 , 32 , 34 – 36 ). One study also reported Brucella melitensis infection in bovines ( 12 ).…”

“…Brucellosis is endemic in many countries in Africa, Middle East, Mediterranean Basin, Asia, and Latin America with high records in humans in the Middle East and central Asian regions ( 16 ). It is endemic in Pakistan where it affects various livestock species and humans ( 12 , 17 ). Disease burden particularly in bovines is increasing due to commercialization, urbanization, and increasing trends of extensive livestock farming ( 18 , 19 ).…”

Serological and Molecular Investigation of Brucella Species in Dogs in Pakistan

“…Brucellosis remains a persistent zoonotic infection mainly caused by B. abortus and B. melitensis in ruminants in Pakistan and neighboring countries [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]. Canine brucellosis (B. canis) has also been reported in surrounding countries [34][35][36].…”

Seroprevalence and Molecular Detection of Brucellosis in Hospitalized Patients in Lahore Hospitals, Pakistan

“…In Pakistan, the incidence of brucellosis is increasing day by day due to a lack of awareness [ 13 ]. Few studies concerning human brucellosis in Pakistan have been carried out in the last decade [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. The present study aims to determine the seroprevalence of brucellosis and molecular detection of Brucella spp.…”