http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,79312
Archive Number 20090920.3303
Published Date 20-SEP-2009
Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Brucellosis, swine hunters - USA (02): (TX) hunters
BRUCELLOSIS, SWINE HUNTERS - USA (02): (TEXAS)
**********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Thu 17 Sep 2009
Source: Chron.com, Associated Press (AP) report [edited]
<http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6623163.html>
A 76-year-old man from Tomball developed symptoms that turned out to
have nothing to do with swine flu but everything to do with hogs.
Doctors earlier in 2009 diagnosed him with brucellosis.
The man picked up the disease from feral hogs that have rooted through
parts of his property in Cherokee County. His brucellosis was traced
to him cleaning a feral hog in March 2009. He and his son butchered
one of the many feral hogs they had shot or trapped.
"People need to know that they should be cautious when they handle
those pigs, and always wear gloves," he said. "I wouldn't want what's
happened to me to happen to anybody."
The man faces months of more treatment for the disease, which is
caused by a bacterium linked to feral hogs. An estimated 2 million of
the wild creatures roam Texas. The Houston Chronicle reported Thursday
[17 Sep 2009] that about 10 percent of Texas feral hogs test positive
for brucellosis bacteria, but the rate in eastern parts of the state
has been known to be higher. The disease can cause pregnant animals to
prematurely abort their young.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
[The CDC, earlier in 2009, reported on similar cases in the
southeastern USA. As an occupation-related disease, brucellosis can
result from the organism from diseased animals entering through skin
lesions or mucous membranes, or from the inhalation of contamination
dust or aerosols.
Inhalation is involved with many cases associated with abattoir
workers (1). Contamination of skin lesions is also common in meat
packing workers or veterinarians. As in this cluster, hunters may be
infected through skin lesions or by accidental ingestion of bacilli
during or after cleaning moose, elk, or (as here) feral pigs.
Historically (2), Capasso found bone lesions typical of brucellosis in
adult skeletal remains of people killed during the 1st volcanic surge
of Mount Vesuvius. He also demonstrated by scanning electron
microscopy analysis of buried carbonized cheese, the presence of
bacterial forms consistent with _Brucella_ spp. Sir David Bruce first
isolated the organism associated with Maltese (or Malta) fever from a
British soldier who died in 1887 and the organism was eventually named
in his honor. The organism was isolated from goat's milk in 1905, also
in Malta.
Microbiologically, classical biovar typing methodology is
time-consuming, poorly standardized, and requires high-level biosafety
containment. Typing the 4 biovars of _B. suis_ involves hydrogen
sulfide production, growth in dyes, bacteriophage susceptibility, and
agglutination with biovar-specific antisera. To simplify this process,
real-time polymerase chain reaction technology looking at single
nucleotide polymorphism can be used (3).
References
----------
1. Robson JM, Harrison MW, Wood RN, et al: Brucellosis: re-emergence
and changing epidemiology in Queensland. Med J Aust 1993; 159(3):
153-8; abstract available at
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8336614>.
2. Godfroid J, Cloeckaert A, Liautard JP, et al: From the discovery of
the Malta fever's agent to the discovery of a marine mammal reservoir,
brucellosis has continuously been a re-emerging zoonosis. Vet Res
2005; 36(3): 313-26; available at
<http://publications.edpsciences.org/10.1051/vetres:2005003>.
3. Fretin D, Whatmore AM, Al Dahouk S, et al: _Brucella suis_
identification and biovar typing by real-time PCR. Vet Microbiol.
2008; 131(3-4): 376-85. Epub 2008 May 21; abstract available at
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18499359>.
The location of Cherokee County in the state of Texas can be found on a map at
<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Cherokee_County_Texas.png>
and the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at
<http://healthmap.org/r/00Qe>. - Mod.LL]
[see also:
Brucellosis, swine hunters - USA: (SC, PA) ex Florida 20090612.2178
2008
----
Brucellosis, lab workers, 2006 - USA: (IN, MN) 20080117.0214
2007
----
Brucellosis, Q fever, lab workers - USA (TX) 20070706.2146
2004
----
Brucellosis, ovine, contaminated agar - USA: alert 20040820.2315
2001
----
Brucellosis - USA (Arkansas) ex Mexico: alert 20010805.1539]
........................................ll/mj/jw
Archive Number 20090920.3303
Published Date 20-SEP-2009
Subject PRO/AH/EDR> Brucellosis, swine hunters - USA (02): (TX) hunters
BRUCELLOSIS, SWINE HUNTERS - USA (02): (TEXAS)
**********************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>
Date: Thu 17 Sep 2009
Source: Chron.com, Associated Press (AP) report [edited]
<http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6623163.html>
A 76-year-old man from Tomball developed symptoms that turned out to
have nothing to do with swine flu but everything to do with hogs.
Doctors earlier in 2009 diagnosed him with brucellosis.
The man picked up the disease from feral hogs that have rooted through
parts of his property in Cherokee County. His brucellosis was traced
to him cleaning a feral hog in March 2009. He and his son butchered
one of the many feral hogs they had shot or trapped.
"People need to know that they should be cautious when they handle
those pigs, and always wear gloves," he said. "I wouldn't want what's
happened to me to happen to anybody."
The man faces months of more treatment for the disease, which is
caused by a bacterium linked to feral hogs. An estimated 2 million of
the wild creatures roam Texas. The Houston Chronicle reported Thursday
[17 Sep 2009] that about 10 percent of Texas feral hogs test positive
for brucellosis bacteria, but the rate in eastern parts of the state
has been known to be higher. The disease can cause pregnant animals to
prematurely abort their young.
--
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall
[The CDC, earlier in 2009, reported on similar cases in the
southeastern USA. As an occupation-related disease, brucellosis can
result from the organism from diseased animals entering through skin
lesions or mucous membranes, or from the inhalation of contamination
dust or aerosols.
Inhalation is involved with many cases associated with abattoir
workers (1). Contamination of skin lesions is also common in meat
packing workers or veterinarians. As in this cluster, hunters may be
infected through skin lesions or by accidental ingestion of bacilli
during or after cleaning moose, elk, or (as here) feral pigs.
Historically (2), Capasso found bone lesions typical of brucellosis in
adult skeletal remains of people killed during the 1st volcanic surge
of Mount Vesuvius. He also demonstrated by scanning electron
microscopy analysis of buried carbonized cheese, the presence of
bacterial forms consistent with _Brucella_ spp. Sir David Bruce first
isolated the organism associated with Maltese (or Malta) fever from a
British soldier who died in 1887 and the organism was eventually named
in his honor. The organism was isolated from goat's milk in 1905, also
in Malta.
Microbiologically, classical biovar typing methodology is
time-consuming, poorly standardized, and requires high-level biosafety
containment. Typing the 4 biovars of _B. suis_ involves hydrogen
sulfide production, growth in dyes, bacteriophage susceptibility, and
agglutination with biovar-specific antisera. To simplify this process,
real-time polymerase chain reaction technology looking at single
nucleotide polymorphism can be used (3).
References
----------
1. Robson JM, Harrison MW, Wood RN, et al: Brucellosis: re-emergence
and changing epidemiology in Queensland. Med J Aust 1993; 159(3):
153-8; abstract available at
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8336614>.
2. Godfroid J, Cloeckaert A, Liautard JP, et al: From the discovery of
the Malta fever's agent to the discovery of a marine mammal reservoir,
brucellosis has continuously been a re-emerging zoonosis. Vet Res
2005; 36(3): 313-26; available at
<http://publications.edpsciences.org/10.1051/vetres:2005003>.
3. Fretin D, Whatmore AM, Al Dahouk S, et al: _Brucella suis_
identification and biovar typing by real-time PCR. Vet Microbiol.
2008; 131(3-4): 376-85. Epub 2008 May 21; abstract available at
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18499359>.
The location of Cherokee County in the state of Texas can be found on a map at
<http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Cherokee_County_Texas.png>
and the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map at
<http://healthmap.org/r/00Qe>. - Mod.LL]
[see also:
Brucellosis, swine hunters - USA: (SC, PA) ex Florida 20090612.2178
2008
----
Brucellosis, lab workers, 2006 - USA: (IN, MN) 20080117.0214
2007
----
Brucellosis, Q fever, lab workers - USA (TX) 20070706.2146
2004
----
Brucellosis, ovine, contaminated agar - USA: alert 20040820.2315
2001
----
Brucellosis - USA (Arkansas) ex Mexico: alert 20010805.1539]
........................................ll/mj/jw