Analysis on surveillance data of brucellosis in China, 2009

To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of brucellosis in China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao SARs and Taiwan area) in 2009 and provide scientific evidence for the development of prevent and control strategies. Methods The descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted on the data of cases and sentinel surveillance of brucellosis. Results A total of 35816 cases were reported in China in 2009, the reported incidence was 2.70/lakh. The cases in Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Heibei and Ningxia accounted for 91.77% of the total cases. The average infection rates of sheep and cow at surveillance sites were 1.49% and 1.36% respectively. A total of 68 strains of brucella melitensis biovar 3 were detected, accounted for 94.7% of the total strains detected. Conclusion The epidemic of human brucellosis mainly occurred in northern China where livestock farming developed well. The disease incidence had obvious seasonal peak. Brucella melitensis biovar 3 was the predominant strain in China, but the infection source of animal brucellosis was complex in some places. Human and animal brucellosis surveillance should be further strengthened in western China, including Qinghai, Tibet, and Xinjiang.