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Brucellosis in children
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Brucellosis in children - acute or chronic infectious-allergic disease with a prolonged fever, defeat of the musculoskeletal, nervous, cardiovascular and other body systems.
MXB-10 code
- A23.0 Brucellosis caused by Brucella melitensis.
- A23.1 Brucellosis caused by Brucella abortus.
- A23.2 Brucellosis caused by Brucella suis.
- A23.3 Brucellosis caused by Brucella canis.
- A23.8 Other forms of brucellosis.
- A23.9 Unspecified brucellosis.
Epidemiology
Brucellosis is a typical zoonotic infection. In natural conditions, brucellosis is affected by cows, pigs, sheep, goats, etc. Human infection can occur during lambing and sick animals brucellosis, as well as when using infected meat, milk, cheese and other foods. Especially often the cause of infection is milk, used in raw form, as well as sheep's cheese. The danger of wool, leather, bristles and other livestock products contaminated with secretions of sick animals is dangerous. Possible contact and aerosol pathway of infection. Children often have alimentary infection with raw milk, dairy and other foods. The contact path of transmission is relatively rare, mainly in the centers of sheep brucellosis. Infection of children in these cases occurs mainly through skin and mucous membranes. The aerosol path is possible when shearing animals, combing down, and also when cleaning rooms and territories where they contain animals and process raw materials. Transmission of infection from a sick person to a healthy person does not occur. Transmission of infection with mother's milk is not proven.
Brucellosis affects children of all ages. The highest incidence is observed in children of primary school age. Children of the first year of life are ill rarely because of less contact with sick animals and eating habits. The susceptibility to brucellosis is not exactly established.
[Causes of brucellosis
There are six types of brucellosis pathogens : Br. Melitensis affects mainly small cattle, Br. Abortus bovis - predominantly cattle, Br. Abortus suis - pigs, Br. Ovis - sheep, Br. Canis - dogs, Br. Neotomae - rats. Each of these species is divided into biotypes.
Symptoms of brucellosis
The incubation period from 7 to 40 days, for vaccinated can extend to 2 months. Disease in children often begins sharply with an increase in body temperature. Patients complain of headache, weakness, fatigue, joint and muscle pain, decreased appetite, sleep disturbance, chills alternating with sweats. In cases with a gradual onset, the disease manifests itself as malaise, weakness, increased fatigue, mild headache and decreased appetite. After 5-7 days, there is a leading sign of brucellosis - fever. It can be permanent, remitting, wavy or subfebrile. Children often have a long subfebrile temperature.
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Treatment of brucellosis
In the acute period, antibiotics are used, usually levomycetin, tetracycline, erythromycin, rifampicin and other drugs, at an age-related dose for 7-10 days. The course of treatment is often repeated after 2 weeks, less often, and the third course. Antibiotics have a pronounced antimicrobial effect, but do not prevent exacerbations, relapses and the formation of a chronic process. Treatment with antibiotics is supplemented with vaccine therapy. The killed brucellosis vaccine is administered intramuscularly, starting at a dose of 100 000-500 000 microbial bodies (at an individual dose for each patient) at intervals of 2-5 days. The course of vaccine therapy consists of 8-10 injections. The duration of the intervals between injections and subsequent doses is determined by the severity of the post-vaccination reaction. The vaccine can also be administered subcutaneously and intravenously.
Drugs
Prevention of brucellosis
In the fight against brucellosis, the elimination of the source of infection among domestic animals is crucial: the identification of patients, the prophylactic vaccination of large and small cattle, the improvement of livestock farms. Prevention of food contamination is necessary. Foodstuffs from unsuccessful brucellosis farms must be carefully heat treated before consumption: milk, cream pasteurized at 70 ° C for 30 minutes, cooked meat for 3 hours, cheese and cheese for at least 2 months. A vaccine against brucellosis is also used .
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