Window of treatment initiation for human brucellosis, implications for treatment efficacy, and prevention of chronic infection

摘要

To the Editor-Brucellosis is a common zoonotic infectious disease, with >500 000 new cases reported annually worldwide [1, 2]. Brucellosis is caused by the intracellular bacterial pathogen Brucella. Because of Brucellas unique interaction with the human immune system, brucellosis is prone to become a chronic infection, which is difficult to cure. Timely diagnosis and treatment are considered to be the most efficient strategies to prevent chronic infections [3]. Although several treatment regimens have been recommended [4], treatment failure and relapse occur at high frequency [5], resulting in increased medical cost and patient suffering [1]. Whether the treatment delay results in treatment failure and relapse remains unknown, and the optimal treatment initiation time will be valuable for efficient treatment and prevention of chronic infection.