J Korean Med Sci.  2005 Dec;20(6):941-946. 10.3346/jkms.2005.20.6.941.

A Sporadic Outbreak of Human Brucellosis in Korea

• Park MY
• Lee CS
• Choi YS
• Park SJ
• Lee JS
• Lee HB

• KMID: 2157741
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2005.20.6.941

Abstract

Eleven cases of human brucellosis occurred among livestock workers and a veterinarian who lived and worked in a rural area around Jeongeup City, Jeollabuk-Do, Korea from February 2003 to August 2003. Eight of the patients had taken care of Korean native cattle that were infected with bovine brucellosis and had already been slaughtered. Two of the patients had taken care of dairy cattle, and one case was a veterinarian who acquired the disease through an accidental contact with infected cattle while assisting in calf delivery. Eleven cases were identified by serologic work ups and four cases were identified via positive blood cultures. This study shows that the Republic of Korea is no longer free of human brucellosis, Brucella abortus biotype 1. We reviewed the patients' characteristics and serologic data during the oneyear follow up period, and we also discuss on the efficacy and side effects of the rifampin and doxycyline regimen used for the treatment of human brucellosis.

Keyword

Brucellosis; Korea; Disease Outbreaks

MeSH Terms

Adult
Animal Husbandry
Animals
Anti-Bacterial Agents/adverse effects/therapeutic use
Antibodies, Bacterial/blood
Base Sequence
Brucella abortus/genetics/immunology/isolation and purification
Brucellosis/drug therapy/*epidemiology/microbiology/transmission
Brucellosis, Bovine/transmission
Cattle
DNA, Bacterial/genetics
Disease Outbreaks
Doxycycline/adverse effects/therapeutic use
Female
Humans
Korea/epidemiology
Male
Middle Aged
Occupational Diseases/drug therapy/epidemiology/immunology/microbiology
Rifampin/adverse effects/therapeutic use
Veterinarians

Figure

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  Fig. 1 The number of case of human brucellosis diagnosed in Jeongeup City, Jeollabuk-do, Korea in 2003.

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  Fig. 2 Detection of the PCR products of Brucella genes; (A) Detection of the Brucella 31 kDa genes PCR products from the 11 patients with brucellosis. lane M; molecular size marker (100-bp DNA, ladder); lane 1, DNA of B. abortus ATCC 7705 for the positive control; lane 2 to 12 for the clinical patients; lane 13, distilled water for the negative control. (B) Detection of the Brucella 36 kDa genes PCR products from the 11 patients with brucellosis. Lane M, molecular size marker (100-bp DNA, ladder); lane 1, DNA of B. abortus ATCC 7705 for the positive control; lane 2, distilled water for the negative control; lane 3 to 13 for the patients. (C) Detection of the Brucella 16 S rRNA genes PCR products from the 11 patients with brucellosis. Lane M, molecular size marker (100-bp DNA, ladder); lane 1, DNA of B. abortus ATCC 7705 for the positive control; lane 2, distilled water for the negative control; lane 3 to 13 for the patients.

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