Table 1.
Comparison of demographical, clinical, and laboratory features of 842 cases of human brucellosis, Hulunbuir, China, 2011–2016
| Clinical characteristics | Patients with BS n=67 (8.0%) |
Patients without BS n=775 |
P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (y) | 50.48±10.20 | 43.88±14.21 | 0.002 |
| Sex (male) | 43 (64.2) | 581 (75.0) | 0.053 |
| Risk factors for transmission | |||
| Direct contact with animals | 63 (94.0) | 751 (96.9) | 0.208 |
| Consumption of unpasteurized dairy products | 4 (6.0) | 24 (3.1) | 0.208 |
| Duration of symptoms | |||
| Acute | 51 (76.1) | 501 (64.6) | 0.058 |
| Subacute | 9 (13.4) | 75 (9.7) | 0.325 |
| Chronic | 5 (7.5) | 128 (16.5) | 0.051 |
| Relapse | 2 (3.0) | 71 (9.2) | 0.085 |
| Symptoms and clinical findings | |||
| Back pain | 67 (100) | 141 (18.2) | 0.000 |
| Fever | 57 (85.1) | 603 (77.8) | 0.166 |
| Sweats | 42 (62.7) | 538 (69.4) | 0.253 |
| Fatigue Artyralgia |
39 (58.2) 20 (29.9) |
512 (66.1) 186 (24) |
0.195 0.285 |
| Hepatomegaly | 3 (4.5) | 40 (5.2) | 0.807 |
| Splenomegaly | 12 (17.9) | 108 (14.1) | 0.372 |
| Laboratory data | |||
| WBC <4×10–9/L | 8 (11.9) | 69 (8.9) | 0.408 |
| PLT <100×10–9/L | 8 (11.9) | 62 (8) | 0.262 |
| ALT >40 U/L | 17 (25.4) | 147 (19) | 0.204 |
| AST >40 U/L | 18 (26.9) | 222 (28.6) | 0.757 |
| ESR >20 mm/hr | 42 (62.7) | 427 (55.1) | 0.230 |
| CRP >5 mg/L | 53 (79.1) | 542 (70.1) | 0.120 |
| SAT ≥1:100++ | 53 (79.1) | 534 (68.9) | 0.081 |
| Positive blood culture | 10 (14.9) | 67 (8.6) | 0.087 |
| Brucella melitensis biovar 3 | 7 (10.4) | 40 (5.2) | 0.126 |
| Brucella melitensis biovar 1 | 3 (4.5) | 27 (3.5) | 0.938 |
Notes: Data are expressed as patient number (%) or mean±standard deviation.
Abbreviations: BS, brucellar spondylodiscitis; WBC, white blood cell; PLT, platelet; ALT, alanine transaminase; AST, aspartate-aminotransferase; ESR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate; CRP, C-reactive protein; SAT, standard tube agglutination test.