Brucellosis in a patient with Crohn's disease treated with infliximab: A case report

Crohn's disease (CD) is an inflammatory disease that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract and presents with myriad symptoms. Various treatments, including biological treatments, are available. The use of biologics increases the risk of opportunistic infections, with no association with serious infections (1). To the best of our knowledge, there are no established recommendations or case studies for patients with CD infected with Brucella being actively treated with biologics and immunomodulators to date. Herein, we report the first case of brucellosis diagnosed in a patient with CD treated with biologics and immunomodulators. A 40-year-old man had been treated with anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) drugs, namely, infliximab and azathioprine, for CD for the past eight years. During a follow-up visit, the patient complained of loss of appetite, fever, weight loss, and joint discomfort. The patient reported a history of raw milk consumption. Blood cultures indicated the growth of Brucella species. Infliximab and azathioprine were held, and brucellosis treatment was initiated, including rifampin 600 mg once daily, doxycycline 100 mg twice daily, and streptomycin 1 g intramuscularly daily. A multidisciplinary team comprising gastroenterologists and infectious disease specialists decided to initiate brucellosis treatment and resume biologics and immunomodulators 4 weeks after starting Brucella treatment.