title: [Various clinical manifestations of brucellosis infection].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brucellosis is an acute, subacute or chronical disease, from the zoonosis group, caused by various types of bacteria belonging to genus Brucellae. It is transmitted to humans from domestic animals: goats, sheep, cattle, pigs and dogs. The course of the disease may either be asymptomatic, or produce a variety of clinical manifestations, ranging from light ones to extremely severe clinical forms. The aim of the study was to follow the clinical features of brucella infection in the hospital-treated patients, as well as its course and outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  The investigation included 15 patients, treated for brucella infection at the Clinic for Infectious Diseases during the last two years (2004 and 2005).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were adults, their age ranged from 18 to 71, 49.96 on average. The epidemiological questionnaire was positive in all patients, confirming contacts with the ailing animals, or consumption of cheese made from milk of diseased animals. They all exhibited the classic symptoms--increased body temperature and shiver, fever, sweating, malaise and headache, the so called flu like state. The serum agglutination test was positive in respect to brucellosis, the titre ranged from 1:80 to 1:1280. Eight patients suffered excessive back pain, accompanied with impeded walk. In half of them magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the spondylodiscitis diagnosis. Three patients had clinical features of knee arthritis, two had bronchopneumonia, one pancreatitis, and one developed the signs of an acute kidney insufficiency. The outcome was favourable in all patients. They recuperated or healed completely. In one patient a relapse occurred, leading to the chronic course of the illness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although predominantly Mediterranean Brucellosis is a worldwide spread disease. During the last two years, an increased incidence of the disease has been observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Due to the variety of clinical futures and the possibility of numerous complications and sequelae, brucella infection should be always taken into consideration while diagnosing undefined febrile states.
authors.affiliation: Klinicki centar Vojvodine Novi Sad, Klinika za infektivne bolesti. dturkulov@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Turkulov
authors.forename: Nadezda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Madle-Samardzija
authors.forename: Grozdana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Canak
authors.forename: Cedomir
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gavrancić
authors.forename: Jovan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vukadinov
authors.forename: Radoslava
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Doder
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult