Human brucellosis in South Africa: Public health and diagnostic pitfalls.
Human brucellosis in South Africa (SA) is under-diagnosed and under-reported. This is because many clinicians have little or no experience in managing affected patients, and in part because of the nonspecific and insidious nature of the disease. A case of human brucellosis caused by Brucella melitensis in a patient from the Western Cape Province of SA is described, and the resulting exposure of staff members at two medical microbiology laboratories, as well as the public health investigation that was conducted, are discussed. This article aims to highlight the need for strengthening integration between public health, medical and veterinary services and exposing deficiencies in public health, veterinary and laboratory practices.
National Health Laboratory Service, Microbiology Laboratory, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa. tina.wojno@gmail.com.
Justyna Maria
JM
Wojno
Clinton
C
Moodley
Jaco
J
Pienaar
Natalie
N
Beylis
Lourens
L
Jacobsz
Mark P
MP
Nicol
Jenny
J
Rossouw
Colleen
C
Bamford
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D017347:Brucella melitensis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002006:Brucellosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018563:Disease Notification / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D000070516:Intersectoral Collaboration; D008297:Male; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D014730:Veterinary Medicine / Q000379:methods