Epidemiology of human brucellosis in military hospitals in Jordan: A five-year study

Abstract

Introduction: Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease with significant impacts on livestock and human health. It is a severe community health burden in the Middle East with an estimated 2000 times higher prevalence than in North America and Western Europe. To date, there are limited studies on human brucellosis and risk factors for infection in Jordan. Our study aimed to analyze documented brucellosis cases in Jordan and use geographic and socio-demographic data to better understand its prevalence and transmission. Methodology: This retrospective study examined electronic medical records describing 1,497 cases of febrile illness that were tested for brucellosis at Royal Medical Services hospitals between 2016 and 2020. A total of 465 confirmed brucellosis cases, aged 0 to 80 years were included. Serum samples were screened for anti-Brucella antibodies, and positive samples were additionally tested for antibody titer using the Wright tube agglutination test. Results: Our results showed that 31.1% (456/1497) of the febrile diseases were brucellosis. We found that young adults and working age, northern governorates, rural location of residency, occupations involving regular contact with livestock, and Spring/Summer season were highly significant as risk factors. Seropositivity was highest among dairy factory workers with 64.4%. Conclusions: This study adds to our understanding of human brucellosis in Jordan and its impact on public health. These data will be useful in the prevention of brucellosis and will inform reliable disease control policies.