Epidemiology, Clinical Presentation, and Treatment Outcome of Brucellosis Among Children

Abstract

Background: Brucellosis is a systemic infection with a various clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic infection to serious and fatal diseases. In endemic area, one-third of all cases of human brucellosis have been reported in children. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate epidemiology, clinical presentation, and treatment outcome of brucellosis among children in Zahedan City. Patients and Methods: During 36 months, from December 2008 through October 2011, we evaluated all patients younger than 19 years old who were referred to Infectious Diseases Clinic in Boo-Ali Hospital (Zahedan City, southeastern Iran). The patients were referred because of fever, myalgia, and arthralgia, chronic low-back pain, bone pain, and other signs or symptoms consistent with brucellosis and had a positive results for serology test. Titers > 1:80 were considered as positive results. Results: Among 32 patients with brucellosis (24 male and 8 female; age range, 7-19 years), 83% had chronic bone pain. Fever was reported in 39% and the least frequent complication was osteomyelitis (3%). Patients were treated medically and all the patients survived. Conclusions: Our study showed that the clinical manifestations and complication in children with brucellosis are similar to that in the adults; however, treatment can be different according to age of patients. In endemic areas, every patient with low-back pain in any age group should be evaluate for brucellosis.