Published Date: 2009-08-18 21:00:05
Subject: PRO/AH> Brucellosis, unpasteurized cheese - Mexico (03): background
Archive Number: 20090818.2933

BRUCELLOSIS, UNPASTEURIZED CHEESE - MEXICO (03): BACKGROUND
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Date: Mon 17 Aug 2009
Source: GideonOnline [edited]
<http://gideononline.com>


A recent outbreak in the Guanajato State reminds us that brucellosis
remains a very common disease in Mexico. In fact, current rates are
comparable to those of Greece, and similar to those that existed in
the USA during the 1930s and 1940s. See graph:
<http://exhibit.gideononline.com/Brucellosis-Mexico.png>

The following background data on brucellosis in Mexico are abstracted
from Gideon:
<http://www.gideononline.com/blog/2009/08/17/brucellosis-in-mexico/>
Primary references available on request.

Time and Place:
- Highest rates are found in Queretaro, Coahuila, Guanajuanto, Nuevo
Leon, Chicuahua, Jalisco, Tamaulipas and Michoacan.
- 163 fatal cases were reported during 1978 to 1982.
- Mortality rates were 0.04 per 100 000 in 1992; 0.01 per 100 000 in 1996.

Seroprevalence surveys:
- 3.42 percent nationwide, ranging from 0.24 percent in Morelos, to
13.5 percent in Mexico State (1992 publication).
- 0.71 percent of blood donors in northeastern Mexico (2009 publication).
- 0.24 percent of equines in Tamaulipas (_Brucella abortus_ 2006 publication).
- 9.8 percent of goats on farms (Brucella melitensis). (Michoacan,
2007 publication).

Infecting species:
- _Brucella melitensis_, _B. abortus_ and _B. canis_ are found in Mexico.
- The predominant species is _B. melitensis_ (1968 to 1991).

Reservoirs:
- The caprine seropositivity rate was 20.7 percent in 1947.
- Highest rates of caprine disease are reported in Coahuila,
Chihuahua, Jalisco and Zacatecas.
- Highest rates of bovine disease are reported in Chihuahua, Hidalgo
and Guanajuato.
- 11.8 percent of stray dogs in Mexico City are infected by _Brucella canis_.

Vehicles:
- Most infections are acquired from unpasteurized milk, fresh cheese
and other dairy products, primarily from goats (There are more than 9
million goats in Mexico).
- More than 35 percent of cow milk is consumed unpasteurized and more
than 85 percent of goat milk.

--
Communicated by:
Dr. Steve Berger
Geographic Medicine
Tel Aviv Medical Center
Tel Aviv, Israel
<mberger@post.tau.ac.il>

[ProMED thanks Steve Berger (and Gideon) for this information. - Mod. LL]

[The interactive HealthMap/ProMED map for Mexico is available at:
<http://healthmap.org/r/009U> - CopyEd.EJP]

See Also

Brucellosis, unpasteurized cheese - Mexico (02): (GJ) 20090817.2909
Brucellosis, unpasteurized cheese - Mexico: (GJ) 20090313.1028
2008
----
Brucellosis, human, animals - Greece (Kavala) 20080620.1920
Brucellosis - Bosnia & Herzegovina 20080523.1696
2007
----
Brucellosis, human, animals - Bulgaria (Haskovo) (04) 20070927.3202
Brucellosis, bovine, human - Georgia (Lagodechi) (02):
background 20070924.3166
Brucellosis, bovine, human - Georgia (Lagodechi) 20070920.3121
Brucellosis, human, animals - Bulgaria (Haskovo) 20070821.2736
2005
----
Brucellosis, human - Czech Republic ex Turkey (03) 20051024.3098
Brucellosis, human - Czech Republic ex Turkey 20051017.3030
Brucellosis, human - Bosnia & Herzegovina 20050614.1658
Brucellosis, human - Bulgaria ex Greece 20050328.0896
2004
----
Brucellosis, humans & caprines - Lebanon 20040715.1907
Brucellosis - Algeria (El-Aghuat) 20040401.0883
Brucellosis, human, livestock - Russia (Moscow) 20040102.0008
2003
----
Brucellosis, human - Mexico: Background 20030808.1953
...................................ll/ejp/mpp

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