Acute brucellosis in Saudi families: relationship between brucella serology and clinical symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if screening family members of patients with acute brucellosis will enhance the detection rate of brucellosis and also to determine the relationship between symptoms and brucella serology.


METHODS
Family members from patients with acute brucellosis were interviewed and serologically screened. All seropositive family members were clinically and serologically followed for six months.


RESULTS
Twenty-five acute brucellosis patients and their 178 family members were enrolled from January 2001 to February 2002. Of the 178 family members, 40 (23%) manifested various symptoms, 138 (77%) were asymptomatic, with an overall seroprevalence rate of 34 (19%). The rate of seropositivity among the symptomatic family members was 23 (58%) and for the asymptomatic was 11 (8%) (P<0.001). The majority of the symptomatic family members (13 (57%)) had a high Brucella titer in comparison to one (9%) of the asymptomatic group (P<0.001). Acute brucellosis was diagnosed and treated in 18 (78%) of the symptomatic seropositive family members and in four (36%), of the asymptomatic seropositive family members with an acute brucellosis prevalence rate of 22 (12%). All family members with acute infection recovered without sequelae; one patient relapsed (5%).


CONCLUSIONS
Symptomatic family members are more likely to be seropositive with a high titer in comparison to the asymptomatic members.
Alsubaie
Sara
S
Department of Pediatrics, King Abdulaziz Medical City, King Fahad National Guard Hospital, National Guard Health Affairs, P.O. Box 22490, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia.
Almuneef
Maha
M
Alshaalan
Mohammed
M
Balkhy
Hanan
H
Albanyan
Essam
E
Alola
Sulaiman
S
Alotaibi
Badria
B
Memish
Ziad A
ZA
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial