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Pattern of childhood brucellosis in Najran, south Saudi Arabia in 2013-2017
Ghadi Mohammed Al Hashan1, Nagah Mohamed Abo El-Fetoh2, Iman Ali Nasser3
1Medical Intern, Najran University, Najran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Human brucellosis is a common zoonotic disease. In Najran, Saudi Arabia, 57 child brucellosis cases were identified over four years, with fever being the primary symptom and rifampicin the main treatment, leading to a high cure rate.
Area of Science:
- Zoonotic diseases
- Infectious diseases epidemiology
- Pediatric infectious diseases
Background:
- Human brucellosis is the most common zoonotic disease globally, with over 500,000 annual cases.
- Prevalence in endemic regions can exceed 10 cases per 100,000 population.
- Brucellosis poses a significant public health challenge, particularly in endemic areas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and clinical characteristics of brucellosis in children in Najran City, Saudi Arabia.
- To analyze laboratory findings, treatments, and complications associated with pediatric brucellosis.
- To provide data on this zoonotic disease in a specific region of Saudi Arabia.
Main Methods:
- A case-series study analyzing data from diagnosed pediatric brucellosis cases over four years (2013-2017).
- Data collected from hospital records at Najran Maternity and Children Hospital and Najran Armed Forces Hospital.
- Descriptive statistics were used to present findings, including frequency, proportion, mean, and standard deviation.
Main Results:
- 57 cases of pediatric brucellosis were identified in Najran, averaging 12 cases annually.
- Fever was the most common symptom (36.8%), often accompanied by arthralgia or myalgia.
- Rifampicin was the primary antibiotic; 70.2% of patients were cured, with a low relapse rate (3.5%) and mortality (1.8%).
Conclusions:
- Brucellosis should be considered in febrile children in endemic areas, especially with a history of raw milk or animal product consumption or animal contact.
- Health education emphasizing boiling raw milk is crucial for preventing brucellosis transmission.
- Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are vital for managing pediatric brucellosis effectively.
Background:
With more than 500,000 new cases annually, human brucellosis is the commonest zoonotic disease worldwide. In some endemic countries, its prevalence is more than 10 per 100,000 population.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of the problem and the clinical features, laboratory findings, treatment given and complications seen in children with brucellosis in Najran City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Methods:
This is a case-series study by analysis of data of children known or diagnosed to have brucellosis for the last 4 years in Najran City. Data was obtained by reviewing the hospital records of the Maternity and Children Hospital and Najran Armed Forces Hospital in Najran during the period from 2013 to 2017. The statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 16.0. Since it was the first report of brucellosis on the study population, we used descriptive statistics (frequency, proportion, mean, and standard deviation) for presenting the findings.
Results:
We studied 57 diagnosed cases of child brucellosis throughout the past 4 years in Najran, south Saudi Arabia with an average number of about 12 cases per year. Of the cases, 15.8% reported a history of ingestion of raw milk and dairy product and only 1.8% of them reported a history of animal contact while 82.4% confirmed unknown mode of transmission. Fever was the only finding in 36.8%, fever and arthralgia 21.1%, and fever and myalgia 19.3%. Two thirds of the cases were diagnosed by standard agglutination test (SAT). Hepatosplenomegaly was found in 10.5%. Rifampicin was the antibiotic of choice and 70.2% of cases have been cured but 3.5% relapsed and 1.8% died from complications.
Conclusions:
Results suggest brucellosis be considered in every child living in an endemic area, showing symptoms of fever and having a history of ingestion of raw milk and dairy product and/or animal contact.Prevention should rely on health education of the public about different issues of the disease including boiling raw milk.
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