[Study of 1,595 brucellosis cases in the Almeria province (1972-1998) based on epidemiological data from disease reporting].

OBJECTIVE: To know clinical, diagnostic, and treatment issues of brucellosis in the Almeria province.

METHODS: Descriptive, epidemiological study from 1,595 disease report cards in the Almeria province during the 1972-1998 period. Issues concerning complications and treatment were reported in 890 cards (57.8%), symptoms, signs and hemograms in 565 (35.4%), and other diagnostic findings in all cards. The chi2 test was used to compare independent qualitative parameters for a 95% CI.

RESULTS: In the early phase the most common symptom was asthenia (95.2%); sweating in the chronic stage (95.8%). The most commonly recorded sign was spleen enlargement (37.5%) and the most commonly reported complication was bone and joint involvement (22.8%). No changes in symptoms occurred over years. The hemogram revealed anemia in 30.3% of cases. Blood culture was positive for 91.2%. Regarding serological diagnosis, rose Bengal was positive for 99.2% of cases; the most common agglutination titer to Brucella or B. mellitensis was 1/640 (13.5%). The most commonly used therapy consisted of the association tetracycline plus streptomycin (42.4%). For 42.6% of cards, patients were transferred to hospital, particularly since 1984.

CONCLUSIONS: Generally speaking, clinical data recorded in the reporting card regarding brucellosis disease reveal the clinical features of the disease, after a long surveillance period. Rose Bengal should be used as screening test for the diagnosis of this disease.