Brucellosis in north India: results of a prospective study

Human brucellosis is a significant public health problem in India, the magnitude of which is not known. Paucity of clinico-epidemiologic data hampers control strategies. We prospectively studied 121 cases of fever of unknown origin (FUO) and 50 occupationally exposed individuals. Four patients with FUO had acute brucellosis (3.3%) while 8 (6.6%) had serological evidence of previous brucella infection. Seven of the 50 (14%) asymptomatic, 'at risk' individuals screened were seropositive for brucella. Persistence of the animal reservoir of infection, low physician awareness, poor availability of diagnostic facilities, and the non existence of regional data bases contribute towards the perpetuation of this zoonosis in India, while it has been eradicated from most developed countries.