HUMAN BRUCELLOSIS AMONG PYREXIA OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN CASES IN TWO TERTIARY HOSPITALS, IN SANA'A, YEMEN

Ahlam Ali Ahmed Maher; Belques Sharaf Al-Huraibi; Abdulwahab Ismail Mohamed Al-Kholani; Omar Abdullah M Al-Dhafari; Mohammed Mohammed Ali Al-Najhi; Hassan Abdulwahab Al-Shamahy; Omar Ahmed Esma’il Al-dossary; Azhar Azher Mohammed Al-Ankoshy

doi:10.22270/ujpr.v7i1.725

Ahlam Ali Ahmed Maher Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Belques Sharaf Al-Huraibi Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Abdulwahab Ismail Mohamed Al-Kholani Department of conservative dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Omar Abdullah M Al-Dhafari Department of conservative dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Mohammed Mohammed Ali Al-Najhi Department of conservative dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Genius University for Sciences and Technology, Dhamar city, Republic of Yemen.
Hassan Abdulwahab Al-Shamahy Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen. Medical Microbiology department, Faculty of Medicine, Genius University for Sciences & Technology, Dhamar city, Republic of Yemen.
Omar Ahmed Esma’il Al-dossary Medical Microbiology and Clinical Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University, Republic of Yemen.
Azhar Azher Mohammed Al-Ankoshy Jabir Ibn Hayyan Medical University, Faculty of medicine, Department of Physiology, An-Najaf, Iraq.

10.22270/ujpr.v7i1.725

Keywords:

Brucella antibodies, brucellosis, pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO), risk factors

Abstract

Background and objectives: Brucellosis continues a most important health problem in numerous parts of the world and in the Middle East regions is a significant origin of acute febrile illness. This study was conducted to determine Brucella antibodies among patients with PUO, the association of brucellosis with demographic characteristics, identify clinical symptoms and risk factors for Brucella infection among PUO cases.

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional research study was conducted in two health institutions; Al-Jumhouri Hospital and Al-Thawra Hospital, between January 2021 to January 2022. The required data were gathered from each patient by using pre-defined standardized questionnaire. Five mL of sterile whole blood was collected from each patient and then tested for Brucella antibodies using a standard tubular agglutination test. The data were then analyzed using the statistical software Epi Info version 6.

Results: Among the 241 PUO patients, females were 72.2% and males 27.8%. The mean ± SD for total age was 28.8±15.8 years. The rate of Brucella antibody among patients with PUO was 29%, females 78.6% higher than males by 21.4%. Clinical characteristics of PUO patients were persistent fever (36.9%), intermittent fever (63.1%), sweating (63.5%), shivering (61.4%), joint pain (78.4%), muscle pain (78.4%), back pain (74.7) back head pain (66.4%), headache (60.4%), weight loss (52.9%), body weakness (89.2%), loss of appetite (50.6%), and nausea (46.1%). The risk factors for brucellosis among the PUO patients was handling of animals during parturition (69.2%, OR=7, p<0.0001).

Conclusion: These findings revealed a high prevalence of human brucellosis among PUO patients in Sana'a city and will becoming a serious problem that threats the health care system in Yemen. So, awareness programs should be provided to doctors, population about Brucella infection and its risk factors.