Exploring the status of brucellosis in pregnant women presented with febrile illness at different healthcare facilities of Vehari and Lodhran zones of Pakistan

Brucellosis is an important zoonotic disease which causes stillbirth and abortion in pregnant women. It remains undiagnosed due to nonspecific symptoms like febrility, a very common ailment sign. Accordingly, this study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence and risk-determinants of brucellosis among pregnant women presented with febrile condition to healthcare facilities of Vehari and Lodhran regions of southern Punjab-Pakistan. For this cross-sectional study, a total of 250 pregnant women with febrile condition were approached. Of these, 200 willing women were included in this study. Blood samples of participants were analyzed for sero-detection of brucellosis using serum agglutination test (SAT) and commercially available indirect-ELISA kits (sensitivity and specificity>95%) followed by detection of Brucella (B.) species using PCR. Univariate and multivariate analyses were employed to determine the risk factors associated with brucellosis. Overall seropositivity rate of brucellosis by SAT in study population was 18% whereas ELISA revealed the seroprevalence rate of 12% (n = 24/200). PCR findings showed the presence of B. abortus and B. melitensis in seropositive participants. Analysis revealed that nutritional status (P = 0.037, OR=0.2431), educational status (P = 0.049, OR=0.2168), contact with Brucella-susceptible animals (P = 0.009, OR=10.5142), abortion history (P = 0.012, OR=8.7308), raw milk's consumption (P = 0.002, OR=37.1499) and disease awareness (P < 0.001, OR=0.0340) were significantly associated risk factors with brucellosis. Data regarding clinical manifestations revealed the highest frequency (87.50%) of fatigue with general weakness and lowest one of night sweats (20.83%) in seropositive women. Brucellosis is prevalent in febrile pregnant women of study area. It is suggested to devise disease control/prevention measures which may include but not limited to enhancing awareness about disease-dynamics, improving disease diagnostic facilities and immunization of susceptible animals from where disease originate.