RESEARCH ARTICLE


Human Brucellosis as an Epidemic Zoonosis in Zenica-Doboj Canton (Bosnia and Herzegovina) During 2008-2018



Selma Uzunović1, *
iD
, Muhamed Skomorac2, Fatima Bašić2, Farah Kamberović3, Amir Ibrahimagić4, Jasmin Dizdarević5
1 Department of Clinical Microbiology, Institute for Health and Food Safety Zenica, Fra Ivana Jukića 2, 72000 Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
2 Department of Epidemiology, Institute for Health and Food Safety Zenica, Fra Ivana Jukića 2, 72000 Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
3 Autoimmune Diseases Department, Vasculitis Research Unit, IDIBAPS, CELLEX 4B, Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Spain
4 Department of Chemistry Diagnostics, Institute for Health and Food Safety Zenica, Fra Ivana Jukića 2, 72000 Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
5 Department for Epizootiology, Institute for Health and Food Safety Zenica, Fra Ivana Jukića 2, 72000 Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Article Information


Identifiers and Pagination:

Year: 2020
Volume: 12
First Page: 1
Last Page: 6
Publisher Id: TOIDJ-12-1
DOI: 10.2174/1874279302012010001

Article History:

Received Date: 19/03/2019
Revision Received Date: 17/06/2020
Acceptance Date: 26/06/2020
Electronic publication date: 19/08/2020
Collection year: 2020

© 2020 Uzunović et al.

open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode). This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

* Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Clinical Microbiology, Institute for Health and Food Safety Zenica Fra Ivana Jukića 2, 72000 Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Tel: +387 32 448 045; Fax: +387 32 448 000; E-mail: selma_kamb@yahoo.com;


Abstract

Background:

Brucellosis is associated with people living in close proximity to their animals, where conditions for disease onset and spread exist. An epidemic of brucellosis in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) has persisted since 2004. Zenica-Doboj Canton is one of the most affected areas.

Objective:

To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of human brucellosis from the year 2008 to2018.

Methods:

Data collected from paper-based patients/cases reported to the Epidemiology Department were analyzed.

Results:

After 2008, the annual number of patients diagnosed with brucellosis was decreasing, except in 2017 and 2018 with 20 and 35 cases, respectively. Within the 2008-2018 period, a total of 263 human brucellosis cases were recorded, decreasing from 102 (incidence of 44.7/100,000) cases in 2008 to three cases in 2012, but increased to 35 cases in 2018. Males were predominant, with a total of 205 (77.9%) cases. The mean age of the affected patients was 39.2 years; but the most affected age group was the 25-49 years age group with 117 (44.5%) cases. Most cases (151 cases, 66%) were reported during the period of March-July, and 242 (92%) cases were from the rural areas.

Conclusion:

With the implementation of the small ruminant vaccination program in 2009, the number of infected humans had declined, while brucellosis still remains.

Keywords: Animal, Brucellosis, Epidemiology, One health, Bosnia and herzegovina, Zoonosis, Zenica-Doboj canton.