title: Characteristics of B. melitensis versus B. abortus bacteraemias.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the epidemiological and the clinical characteristics of bacteremic brucellosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study, performed in the First Infectious Diseases Clinic of Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital. All the patients had positive culture result for Brucella spp.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-four acute bacteremic brucellosis cases were included. The majority of patients (76%) were from rural Anatolia. Brucella melitensis serotypes were more common than Brucella abortus (83% versus 17%). Fever and arthralgia were the most common symptoms. The number of patients with back pain and arthralgia was higher in B. abortus infected group (p = 0.014 and p = 0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  B. melitensis is the most common subtype of Brucella infection in Turkey. The infections with B. abortus spp. are not less severe than the infections with B. melitensis.
authors.affiliation: The First Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology Clinic, Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Başak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dokuzoğuz
authors.forename: Onder
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ergönül
authors.forename: Nurcan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Baykam
authors.forename: Harika
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Esener
authors.forename: Selçuk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kiliç
authors.forename: Aysel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Celikbaş
authors.forename: Sebnem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eren
authors.forename: Berrin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Esen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000382:microbiology; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002003:Brucella abortus / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D017347:Brucella melitensis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology