[Epidemiological and clinical features of brucellosis in 39 family groups]

Clinical epidemiological evaluations on brucellosis, done during the last five years in endemic areas in Lima (Peru), in 39 families with 232 members, have let us observe a high rate of symptomatic infection 118/232 (50.9%) and has also let us identify, as risk factors to contract the disease; age older than 10 years 97/190 (56.3%) versus 11/42 (26.1%); in younger than 10 years of age (p less than 0.05) and families with 5 or less members 40/54 (74.0%) versus 78/175 (44.5%) of more numerous families (p less than 0.001), and also to be exposed to a common source as a form to contract the disease. We observed the importance of an adequate treatment in early stages of the disease. We detected major clinical gravity in women 23/55 than in men 5/38 (p less than 0.01), specially in brucellar arthritis (p less than 0.05). Period of time between the appearance of index case and secondary cases was of 33.8 days, but range was of 1-115 days. The heterogeneous aspects of the disease between members of the same family, suggest that response of host, more than bacterial virulence, is so important in the clinical course of the disease.