Abstract:
Objective To understand the causes of a epidemic of brucellosis in a slaughterhouse in Zigong, Sichuan province, in 2023, assess the risk factors at different exposure sites in slaughterhouse workers, and provide suggestions for the prevention and control of brucellosis in non-pastoral area.
Methods A field epidemiological investigation was conducted and the results were analyzed with descriptive epidemiological method, and a retrospective cohort analysis was conducted to evaluate the risks at different exposure sites and multivariate logistic regression model was used identify risk factors.
Results From April 3 to May 30, 2023, a total of 6 positive cases were found in this epidemic, of which 5 were slaughterhouse workers discovered in the surveillance in population with occupational exposure, all were latent infection cases; the another 1 case was a confirmed case detected in active hospital visit, who was running a mutton soup restaurant. The infections occurred through direct contact with infected sheep or mutton during slaughtering and mutton processing. The risk for infection in slaughterhouse workers was five times higher than that in other occupational groups (relative risk, RR=5.14, 95% confidence interval, 95%CI=1.90−13.98). Being engaged in butchering was a risk factor for infection in the slaughterhouse workers (odd ratio,OR=5.87, 95% confidence interval, 95%CI=1.54−22.45).
Conclusion This was the first epidemic of brucellosis detected in occupational population surveillance in Zigong. The disease was transmitted from slaughterhouse to mutton restaurant. In non-pastoral area, slaughterhouse and livestock market should be the key quarantine sites, where regular livestock screening and immunization are needed to prevent the introduction of infectious source, and regular serological surveillance for brucellosis in occupational populations is important for the detections of new cases or latent infections and improvement of the brucellosis prevention and control strategy from disease-oriented to people-oriented.
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