Subacute brucellosis: A case report

Abstract

Brucellosis is one of the most common zoonotic diseases worldwide. The epidemiological situation of brucellosis in the Russian Federation is characterized as unfavorable. Brucellosis remains a problem in regions with developed animal husbandry. The variety of clinical manifestations and the absence of specific symptoms of brucellosis make its diagnosis challenging. The clinical case presented in this paper illustrates the delayed diagnosis of brucellosis in a 10-year-old patient presenting with fever and enlarged lymph nodes, liver, and spleen. The failure in the provision of medical care was attributed to the lack of the alertness of doctors regarding brucellosis, insufficient interpretation of epidemiological history data, and incorrect assessment of the totality of the clinical syndrome of the disease and laboratory parameters. As a result, brucellosis was diagnosed only 6 months after disease onset. Subsequent etiotropic therapy led to the stabilization of the patients condition, who was discharged from the hospital with recommendations under the supervision of an infectious disease specialist.