Brucellosis in pregnancy: a case report

Abstract

Background: Brucella spp., a gram-negative bacterium, is one of the most prevalent zoonotic illnesses worldwide and is more commonly seen in animals; however, the disease may be present in humans. Clinical manifestations of brucellosis are variable and can range from asymptomatic to severe disease. In women who are pregnant, potential obstetrics complications are possible. The purpose of this report is to present a case of brucellosis in a pregnant patient and discuss the potential complications and treatment recommendations.

Case description: We present a case of a 17-year-old gravida 2, parity 1 (G2P1) at 35 weeks and 2 days (35w2d) with brucellosis after she assisted in the delivery of puppies. All puppies were stillborn and the dog was confirmed positive for B. canis on serological testing. Our patient was also found to have B. canis, which is a particularly rare cause of human brucellosis. She was treated with ceftriaxone, rifampin, and gentamicin before delivery and switched to doxycycline and ceftriaxone postpartum until negative. The patient was instructed not to breastfeed. After treatment, the patient felt well and the baby was healthy.

Conclusions: When evaluating patients, it is necessary to obtain a social history including animal exposures to rule in or rule out zoonotic infections such as brucellosis. It is important to establish a suspected brucellosis infection in pregnancy and begin antibiotic treatment as soon as possible to prevent maternal and fetal complications. The treatment regimen we administered was an effective strategy, particularly for pregnancy, when typical treatments are contraindicated.

Keywords: Brucellosis; case report; dogs; pregnancy.