TITLE:
Epidemiological Aspects of Brucellosis in Saudi Arabia: A Narrative Review
AUTHORS:
Ali H. AlQahtani, Raniah E. Zamzamy, Saeed Mahdi Algarni, Hayel Mohammed Qudsi, Soha Abdulgader Alghamdi, Emad Lafi Almohammadi
KEYWORDS:
Brucellosis, Saudi Arabia
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Infectious Diseases,
Vol.14 No.4,
November
27,
2024
ABSTRACT: Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease of considerable public health importance due to its ability to spread from animals to humans and its impact on health and agricultural sectors. In Saudi Arabia, brucellosis poses a significant challenge, with numerous cases attributed to the consumption of raw dairy products and close contact with livestock. Method: Data in this review was gathered through an extensive literature search on PubMed and Google Scholar using the terms “Brucellosis” and “Saudi Arabia.” This search yielded more than 67 articles, and duplicate studies and irrelevant papers were excluded. Results: The presence of brucellosis in the Saudi population has been acknowledged since the 1950s; however, formal documentation was not established until 1983. The recent yearbook from the Ministry of Health was 2022, indicating the incidence rate decreased from 2018 from 18.07 until 2022 to 7.9 per 100.000 population, and Riyadh had the highest incidence rate. Seasonal trends were noted as the increase in cases occurred during spring and summer. B. melitensis is the most virulent and prevalent strain of Brucella. As for the zoological aspect, studies reported brucellosis in camel, sheep, and goats with various incidence rates according to the time and location, despite that older animals and females were reported with higher seroprevalence of brucellosis. Conclusion: Research indicated varying incidence rates of brucellosis in humans and animals across Saudi regions, with specific population segments and occupations being more susceptible. This underscores the need for continued vigilance, public health education, and veterinary control measures to reduce the risk of transmission to humans.