Clinical and epidemiological aspects of brucellosis in the Astrakhan region

Objective. The purpose of the work was to study the clinical picture of acute brucellosis in patients of brucellosis in the Astrakhan region at the present stage. Due to the presence of epizootic foci of brucellosis in AO and the incidence of brucellosis among people, clinicians should pay attention to the clinical and epidemiological picture and diagnosis of this disease.Materials and methods. A clinical retrospective analysis of 46 case histories of patients with acute brucellosis who were treated at the regional Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital named after A. M. Nichoga in 2012-2021 was carried out. A descriptive method was used to study the medical histories of patients with acute brucellosis. The epizootic situation of brucellosis in JSC was studied on the basis of data from Rospotrebnadzor (reporting forms for 2012-2021, form 2).Results. Among the patients, 38 males (82.6%) prevailed. There were 8 women (17.4%). The age of patients with acute brucellosis ranged from 18 years to 77 years. The patients were mainly young and middle-aged people (under 50 years old) – 36 patients (78.3%). There were 10 patients aged 51-77 years (21.7%). The average age was 41.4 ± 2.39 years. Acute brucellosis was recorded mainly in the spring and summer period of the year. In March-August, 39 cases (84.8%) were detected, in autumn – 6 cases (13.0%), in winter – 1 case (2.2%). In most patients, the disease began acutely with chills (84.8%), in some patients with tremendous chills and a rapid increase in body temperature to high numbers (39-40 °C). Fever was observed in all patients (100%). In most cases (69.6%), the fever was subfebrile, did not exceed 38.0 °C. 11 (23.9%) patients had febrile body temperature (up to 40.0 °C) and 3 patients had hyperpyretic (up to 40.6 °C). However, febrile fever was short-lived and persisted for 5-8 days. Then the body temperature dropped to subfebrile numbers. In general, the fever in patients with brucellosis was undulating and lasted 10-15 days.Conclusion. Thus, in the Astrakhan region, the epidemiological and epizootic situation for brucellosis is unstable. The incidence of brucellosis in cattle and small cattle is registered annually in the region. Acute brucellosis in humans is registered annually in isolated cases and has a moderate course.