Brucellosis in the UK: a risk to laboratory workers? Recommendations for prevention and management of laboratory exposure
- 1Department of Medical Microbiology and HPA Collaborating Centre, Barts and The London NHS Trust, London, UK
- 2Department of Medical Microbiology, Kingston Hospitals NHS Trust, Kingston upon Thames, UK
- 3Department of Medical Microbiology and HPA Collaborating Centre, St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
- Correspondence to Srinivasulu Reddy, Specialist Registrar in Medical Microbiology, 3rd Floor, Pathology and Pharmacy Building, The Royal London Hospital, 80 Newark Street, London E1 2ES, UK; srinivasulu.reddy{at}bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk
- Accepted 21 April 2008
- Published Online First 21 May 2008
Abstract
Brucella spp is an uncommon class 3 pathogen isolated in laboratories serving non-endemic areas. This is a report of four recent cases of brucellosis diagnosed at five different London laboratories, and it highlights the need to maintain a high index of suspicion for brucellosis in patients with a history of travel to and/or consumption of unpasteurised foods from endemic areas. A protocol for risk categorisation is proposed, and there is a description of the strategy adopted for serological follow-up of exposed staff and use of postexposure prophylaxis.
Footnotes
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Competing interests None.
