Acute brucellosis in Saudi families: Relationship between brucella serology and clinical symptoms

摘要

SummaryObjective: To determine if screening family members of patients with acute brucellosis will enhance the detection rate of brucellosis and also to determine the relationship between symptoms and brucella serology.Materials and methods: Family members from patients with acute brucellosis were interviewed and serologically screened. All seropositive family members were clinically and serologically followed for six months.Results: Twenty-five acute brucellosis patients and their 178 family members were enrolled from January 2001 to February 2002. Of the 178 family members, 40 (23%) manifested various symptoms, 138 (77%) were asymptomatic, with an overall seroprevalence rate of 34 (19%). The rate of seropositivity among the symptomatic family members was 23 (58%) and for the asymptomatic was 11 (8%) (P?