Brucellosis 2003 proceedings - PHIDIAS

Poster Session
time. To confirm the cases, laboratory diagnosis and epidemiological surveillance
were performed as well as clinical features were considered. Standard tube
agglutination (STA), ELISA, PCR and blood culture were applied for the laboratory
diagnosis. Of the 9 blood samples from patients with brucellosis, B. abortus were
isolated from 3 patients. And the antibody titers to B. abortus in convalescent-phase
sera tested by STA was distributed between 1:160 and 640. The antibody level had
persisted for around 10 weeks but followed by a sharp reduction at two weeks after
the end of antibiotic treatment. While in ELISA, even though the new rising of IgM
and IgG antibody titers to B. abortus were not observed in all patients after the end of
antibiotic therapy, we need to monitor the changes of the antibody levels over time
because the IgM and IgG antibody remain as high titer up to now. In PCR assay
using primer pair derived from the gene coding for a 31-kDa Brucella antigen, only 5
of them were PCR positive. Epidemiological background showed that all cases were
directly related to occupational activities that seven patients of them were livestock
workers and two were veterinarians. One of them had often ingested unpasteurized
milk of cow. And the others had ever contacted directly without individual measures
to vaginal discharges, aborted fetuses and placentas of infected beef cattles. The
main clinical presentations were irregular fever of variable duration, fatigues,
weakness, sweats, chills and weight loss. With appropriate antibiotic therapy
(streptomycin, doxycyclin), symptomatic therapy the diseases had favourable
outcome. These were the first case experience in our laboratory, however, studies for
validation of the cases will be needed in relation to epidemiological background,
diagnostic procedures and clinical features.
22- Brucella melitensis BIOVARS FOUND IN THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN.
K. Ospanov 1 , T. Grushina 2 , A. Esmagambetova 1 . (1) Kazakh republican sanitary - epidemiology
station, Kazakhstan. (2) M. Aikimbayev's Kazakh Scientific Center Quarantine and Zoonotic Diseases,
Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Brucellosis morbidity rate in humans is 2,000 to 2,500 per year in the Republic
of Kazakhstan. Serological and bacteriological methods have been used to examine
each patient. Brucella cultures have been isolated from 75% of blood samples; they
are mainly Brucella melitensis biovars 1, 2, and 3. Given bacteriological laboratory
tests, we monitor the dynamics of Brucella melitensis biovars isolated from humans
residing in various parts of Kazakhstan. The 1999-2002 monitoring data show that
Brucella structures (biovars) have been changing in several parts of Kazakhstan. We
conducted an epidemiological analysis of such changes for 4 administrative units of
Kazakhstan with highest brucellosis morbidity in humans. We noted that percent of
Brucella biovar 1 went up from 5.7% to 83.6% in the 1st administrative unit; from
50.0% to 90.9%, in the 2nd one; from 46.1% to 61.6%, in the 3rd one; and from
30.4% to 36.7%, in the 4th one. At the same time, the three studied administrative
units showed a decrease in Brucella biovar 3 from 85.7% to 13.2% in the 1st
administrative unit; from 34.2% to 33.3%, in the 3rd one; and from 50.0% to 37.9%,
in the 4th one. We have not been able to identify any reasons for such changes in
Brucella biovars.
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Brucellosis 2003 International Research Conference