1. Brucellosis The disease and Panbio product training

2. Overview • World wide zoonotic disease • esp. predominant in Mediterranean basin, Arabian gulf, Indian subcontinent and parts of Mexico & Central and South America. • Also known as undulant fever or Mediterranean fever. • Transmitted to man from animals. • Occupational disease - meat, dairy or livestock industries. • Milk is pasteurised due to the danger to public health.

3. Infectious Agent • Brucella sp • non spore forming bacteria • small gram negative coccobacilli • organism is resistant and may remain viable in refrigerated milk and pickled products. • 4 sp. are pathogenic for humans (natural host):- • B. abortus (cattle) - prime infecting organism • B. melitensis (goats and sheep) • B. suis (swine) • B. canis (dogs)

4. Clinical Notes • B. abortus & B. suis • infection usually occupational (livestock industry). • B. melitis • infection primarily foodbourne and associated with consumption of unpasteurised dairy products. • Systemic infection - can involve any organ of the body. • Symptoms are non-specific, generalised usually occurring within 2-3 weeks of inoculation.

5. Clinical notes cont… • Acute symptoms • onset may be sudden or gradual • initially resembles influenza • characterised by fever in evenings, remitting in morning • sweats followed by chills • weakness, malaise, anorexia • arthralgia onset may be sudden or gradual

6. Clinical notes cont… • Chronic symptoms • illness persists or reoccurs for a year or more • symptoms often attributed to recurring flu • headache, anorexia, sweats • faintness & dizziness • anxiety & depression

7. Antibody Response • IgM titre increases soon after exposure to organism • IgM can persist for up to 6 to 12 months • Increased titres of IgG antibody may decrease after treatment.

8. Diagnosis • Agglutination • false negative results can occur because of prozone or blocking Abs • no single titre is diagnostic • will not detect Abs to B. canis • CFT • results can differ between laboratories, time consuming, labour intensive, takes 24hrs for a result

9. Diagnosis cont... • Isolation • often unsuccessful particularly in chronic Brucellosis • time consuming • ELISA • provides a sensitive and specific diagnosis • rapid and user-friendly

10. Panbio Brucella ELISA kits • Brucella IgG ELISA Cat # E-BAB01G • Brucella IgM ELISA Cat # E-BAB01M

11. Promotional Resources • Clinical Notes Sheet • General publications • Abstract Araj et al. 2002