title: Human brucellosis in Tuzla Canton.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of human brucellosis in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Tuzla Canton reached its peak in 2008, with a reported total of 994 cases within country, and with 104 cases within the Tuzla Canton.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to analyze the clinical and epidemiological features of human brucellosis in patients hospitalized at the University Clinical Center Tuzla during the period from 01/01/2000 till the 31/12/2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed the clinical symptoms, the laboratory and X-ray findings, the treatments, and the course and outcome of the disease. The diagnosis of brucellosis was based on anamnesis, clinical presentation, in correlation with a positive blood-culture, and/or serological tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of patients (93.18%) were from rural regions. There were more males (79.54%) than females. Most of the patients were aged between 30 to 39 years (21% cases). Contact with infected animals was registered for 83.40% of the patients. The main symptoms and signs were fever, joint-pains, night sweating, anorexia, headaches, and hepatosplenomegaly. The important laboratory findings were increased erythrocyte sedimentation rates, increased values of C-reactive protein, and anemia. Adult patients were treated with a combination of gentamicin or streptomycin with doxycycline, and the children with a combination of gentamicin, and trimethoprim-sulfametaxasol, over at least 6 weeks. Complications were documented in 20.45% of the patients. Relapses were observed in 14.20%, and a chronic form of brucellosis in 5.11% of patients. There were no cases with lethal outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Brucellosis is a growing public health problem, not only within the Tuzla Canton, but throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Infectious Disease, University Clinical Centre Tuzla, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. sead.ahmetagic@ukctuzla.ba
authors.forename: Sead
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmetagic
authors.forename: Nijaz
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tihic
authors.forename: Aldina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmetagic
authors.forename: Amer
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Custovic
authors.forename: Arnela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smriko-Nuhanovic
authors.forename: Nermina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mehinovic
authors.forename: Humera
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Porobic-Jahic
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017522:Bosnia and Herzegovina / Q000453:epidemiology; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D055815:Young Adult