title: Outbreak of Human Brucellosis from Consumption of Raw Goats' Milk in Penang, Malaysia.
abstract: We report the largest outbreak of brucellosis in Penang, Malaysia. Brucellosis is not endemic in this region. The index case was a 45-year-old goat farm owner presented with 3 weeks of fever, headache, severe lethargy, poor appetite, and excessive sweating. He claimed to have consumed unpasteurized goat's milk that he had also sold to the public. Tests were negative for tropical diseases (i.e., dengue fever, malaria, leptospirosis and scrub typhus) and blood culture showed no growth. Based on epidemiological clues, Brucella serology was ordered and returned positive. Over a period of 1 year, 79 patients who had consumed milk bought from the same farm were diagnosed with brucellosis. Two of these patients were workers on the farm. Four laboratory staff had also contracted the disease presumably through handling of the blood samples. The mean duration from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 53 days with a maximum duration of 210 days. A combination treatment of rifampin and doxycycline for 6 weeks was the first line of treatment in 90.5% of patients. One-third of the patients had sequelae after recovering and 21% had a relapse. We highlight the importance of Brucellosis as a differential diagnosis when a patient has unexplained chronic fever.
authors.affiliation: Penang General Hospital, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, Malaysia; Clinical Research Center, Penang General Hospital, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia karniml@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kar Nim
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.affiliation: Penang General Hospital, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, Malaysia; Clinical Research Center, Penang General Hospital, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Ting Soo
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.affiliation: Penang General Hospital, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, Malaysia; Clinical Research Center, Penang General Hospital, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Peng Shyan
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Penang General Hospital, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, Malaysia; Clinical Research Center, Penang General Hospital, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Siti Hawa
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hamzah
authors.affiliation: Penang General Hospital, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, Malaysia; Clinical Research Center, Penang General Hospital, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Norazah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Penang General Hospital, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia; Institute of Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, Malaysia; Clinical Research Center, Penang General Hospital, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Chin Chin
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Ch'ng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D017347:Brucella melitensis; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006041:Goats / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology*