Brucella spp isolated from respiratory sample and grown in Mycobacterium growth indicator tube (MGIT).
Brucellosis remains endemic in many countries including Saudi Arabia. The disinfection of objects and surfaces contaminated with Brucella spp is not difficult, but we encountered a situation in which the organism survived the decontamination and liquefaction procedure adopted for AFB culture. A sputum specimen from a patient was sent for TB culture and the BACTEC MGIT 960 system isolated an organism identified as Brucella spp. The blood cultures and the serological testing had confirmed this case to be brucellosis. Isolation of Brucella spp from sputum samples is rare; this case appears to be the first of its kind. As the clinical presentation of TB may mimic brucellosis and vice versa, we recommend that handling specimens from all cases of undiagnosed PUO should be done with care because of the possibility that it may contain either of these organisms.
Dr. Ali Mohammed Somily, Department of Pathology, Microbiology,, King Saud University College of Medicine & King Khalid University Hospital,, PO Box 2925 Riyadh 11461, Saudi Arabia, ali.somily@gmail.com.
Ali Mohammed
AM
Somily
Abdelmageed Mohamed
AM
Kambal
Tahir
T
Naeem
Hanan Ahmed
HA
Babay
Mogbil Abdullah
MA
Al Hedaithy
Awadh Raheel
AR
Al Anazi
Mazin Adnan
MA
Barry
Abdulkarim Ibrahim
AI
Al Aska
Muhammad Golam
MG
Morshed
Thomas Scot
TS
Murray
D000293:Adolescent; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002002:Brucella / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D003666:Decontamination; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000254:growth & development; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods; D013183:Sputum / Q000382:microbiology*