Epidemiological Pattern and Trend of Brucellosis in Diagnosed Patients in Isfahan Province, Iran, during 2011-8

Brucellosis is a bacterial infectious disease that can be transmitted between humans and animals through the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products or direct human contact with infected animals, placenta, or aborted fetuses. The present study aimed to investigate the epidemiological pattern and trend of brucellosis in diagnosed patients in Isfahan province, Iran, during 2011-9.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during 2011-9 in Isfahan province. Data analysis was performed in SPSS software (version 20) using descriptive tests.

The total number of studied patients who were diagnosed with brucellosis was 5268, including 3650 males (69.3%) and 1618 females (30.7%). The mean incidence rate of the disease was estimated at 14.5 per 100,000 people during the research period. The mean age of the patients was 35.98±18.1 and most of the participants were within the age range of 15-29 years. Moreover, 51.7%, 1.6%, 46.7% of the patients lived in rural, nomadic, and urban areas, respectively. Furthermore, 67.3% of the patients had a history of contact with livestock, and 17.9% of them had a family history of brucellosis. Besides, 59.2% of the infected people had a history of using unpasteurized dairy products.

Based on the results, it can be concluded that interventions, such as the provision of appropriate training for young people, especially in rural areas, and housewives, as well as recommendations for the use of pasteurized dairy products, can be very helpful in controlling this disease.