Reactivity to infection by <em>Brucellas</em> in the population of the province of Las Tunas during 2017

Abstract

Background: Las Tunas is one of the provinces that have been reported with infection by Brucellas in the livestock sector. Brucellosis shows a symptomatology that is not well-defined in humans, making the early detection difficult, favoring the progress to chronicity and complicating the therapeutic alternatives.

Objective: to describe the results of the microbiological studies of Brucellas conducted at the serology laboratory of the Provincial Center of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology of Las Tunas, during the year 2017.

Methods: a cross-sectional, descriptive observational study was carried out in a universe of 857 serological studies of Brucellas conducted at the aforementioned laboratory during the period herein declared. The following items were assessed: reactivity to Brucella antigens, place of origin and sex of the patients and the determination of the antibody titers in the reactive cases.

Results: 46 serological tests were reactive, 5,36 % of the studies; prevailing the male patients (92,29 %); there was a higher positive reaction in the municipality of Las Tunas (56,52 %), followed by Puerto Padre (30,43 %). In Colombia and Amancio no reactive cases were found. In the antibody titration of the reactive serums dilutions 1:20 with 25 serums were more frequent (54,34 %), followed by 1:40 with 19 serums (4,3 %), both of them considered reactive to Brucellas. Only one positive case (1:160) was reported, representing 2,17 %.

Conclusions: there was prevalence of serological studies reactive to Brucellas. The health staff of the province must consider brucellosis as a possible diagnosis, mostly in groups at risk.