Clinical profile and treatment outcomes of patients with brucellosis: a hospital-based cohort study from Southern India.

The clinical epidemiology of patients with brucellosis in India has not been well described. The aim of this study was therefore to delineate the demographic and clinical characteristics, complications and treatment outcomes of patients diagnosed with brucellosis. A prospective cohort study was conducted from January 2015 to June 2017. All patients above the age of 18 years with a confirmed diagnosis of brucellosis were enrolled and followed up for six months to study the outcomes of treatment. Of the 94 patients enrolled, 77% were male. A total of 38% of the patients had a history of animal contact, and 24% had a history of consumption of unpasteurized dairy products. Acute brucellosis was found in 65% of the patients, and sub-acute presentation was seen in the rest. Fever (94%) and arthralgia (54%) were the most predominant symptoms. The most common focal complication was osteoarticular involvement (34%). Except for three patients, all those who were available for follow-up showed a complete response to therapy. In conclusion, brucellosis should be suspected in patients with fever and osteoarticular involvement in endemic areas. Early identification and prompt initiation of treatment are associated with high cure rates.