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Updated: Jul 8, 2026

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Avian Influenza Surveillance with FTA Cards: Field Methods, Biosafety, and Transportation Issues Solved
Published on: August 2, 2011
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[Brucellose as a travel souvenir]
Valentino Monaco1, Michael Bodmer1, Andrea Christina Frey1
1Klinik für Innere Medizin, Zuger Kantonsspital.
Praxis
|March 13, 2025
Summary
A family contracted a zoonotic illness after traveling from Kosovo, experiencing fever and joint pain. Prompt diagnosis and treatment with doxycycline and gentamicin led to a full recovery for all family members.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Zoonotic Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- A family presented with symptoms including fever, asthenia, arthralgia, and headache following travel from Kosovo.
- A detailed exposure history was crucial in suspecting an underlying zoonotic infection.
- This case highlights the importance of travel history in diagnosing infectious diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a case of zoonotic illness in a family returning from travel.
- To emphasize the role of accurate exposure history in diagnosis.
- To demonstrate the efficacy of specific antibiotic treatment.
Main Methods:
- Clinical observation of a family with shared symptoms.
- Epidemiological investigation focusing on travel and potential exposures.
- Diagnostic confirmation based on clinical presentation and exposure history.
- Therapeutic intervention with a combination of antibiotics.
Main Results:
- A zoonotic disease was suspected and subsequently diagnosed based on the exposure history.
- Treatment with doxycycline and gentamicin was initiated.
- All family members achieved complete recovery (restitutio ad integrum).
Conclusions:
- Prompt diagnosis of zoonotic infections is possible with a thorough exposure history.
- Doxycycline and gentamicin are effective treatments for this specific zoonotic illness.
- Travel-associated infectious diseases require careful consideration in clinical practice.
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