Epidemiological, Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics of Patients with Brucella Infection in Anhui Province, China

Background: Brucellosis is currently one of the most widespread zoonotic diseases caused by Brucella genus, and the Brucella melitensis is the major pathogen. The number of people infected with Brucella has gradually increased in Anhui Province. Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory data of brucellosis patients in Anhui Province. Patients and Methods: A total of 109 brucellosis patients were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2012 to March 2021. Data from all patients were retrieved from the hospital's electronic medical system. The final results were grouped and compared according to the presence or absence of bacteremic brucellosis and three phases of brucellosis. Results: The most common symptoms among all 109 brucellosis patients were fever (89.0%), followed by chills (52.3%), arthralgia (48.6%), and weight loss (30.3%), and laboratory results presented with anemia (65.1%), elevate of C-reactive protein (CRP) (91.7%), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (86.2%), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (40.4%), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (43.1%). The percentage of fever (96.1%), arthralgia (58.8%), anorexia (35.3%), leukopenia (31.4%), and the AST (51.0%) were higher in bacteremic than nonbacteremic group. Additionally, the median level of LDH (332.0 mg/ L, IQR, 209.0-553.0) was higher in bacteremic than nonbacteremic group. Nevertheless, the albumin (36.0 mg/L, IQR, 33.9-38.2) was lower in the bacteremic group. The percentage of fever (94.9%) and the median LDH level (316.0 U/L (IQR,218.0-517.5)) in the acute phase of brucellosis were higher than the percentage of fever (72.0%) and the median LDH level (209.0 U/L (IQR,162.0-276.0)) in the subacute phase of brucellosis. Conclusion: Brucellosis has become an important public health issue in Anhui Province. Brucellosis is a disease with diverse clinical manifestations. Our data showed that unexplained fever, arthralgia, and elevated AST and LDH should be considered as a diagnosis of bacteremia brucellosis for early treatment intervention. Keywords: Brucella melitensis, brucellosis, bacteremia, epidemiological, clinical and laboratory features