Incidence and sero epidemiology of brucellosis from a tertiary care centre of rural Maharashtra

Background: It is usually difficult to diagnose brucellosis clinically in the absence of specific clinical features. Hence serological testing forms the mainstay of diagnosing the disease. Seroepidemiological determinants of brucellosis in rural western Maharashtra have not been closely investigated. Aim: The present study was therefore conducted to determine the incidence and to analyze seroepidemiological determinants of Brucellosis in cases of pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO) in rural western Maharashtra. Material and methods: The present hospital based cross sectional survey was carried out in Rural Medical College, Loni on 500 cases of PUO. SPSS version 20.0 was used for analysis. The serum samples were subjected to serological tests like Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and Standard Tube Agglutination Test (STAT). The inoculated agar plates were watched daily for the presence of growth Brucella on culture. Results: Males (51.6%) outnumbered females (48.4%) in the study sample. Out of 500 cases 10 samples showed the presence of Brucella agglutinins. The male female ratio in the seropositive cases was 2.33:1. Headache and joint pain was observed in 5 and 3 cases respectively. 50% samples yielded the growth of Brucella on culture. All the culture positive samples had titer of 640 IU or more. Conclusion: Agglutination test if properly performed can be used as a very dependable laboratory procedure for rapid diagnosis of Brucellosis.