Brucellosis is a serious disease transmitted by pets. Its danger lies in the fact that the symptoms of brucellosis in a person are similar to those that signal the onset of a catarrhal disease. Meanwhile, brucellosis affects many organs and, without proper treatment, can lead to disability. In order to timely detect the disease, in the vast majority of cases it is enough to donate blood to the Wright and Heddelson reactions. These methods are quick and informative.
Etiology of the disease
The causative agents of brucellosis are bacteria called brucella. They are stable in the environment and die only under the influence of high temperatures.
The main carriers and carriers of infection are animals (depending on the probability of infection, they are listed in descending order):
- sheeps;
- goats
- cattle;
- pigs;
- Hares
- deer
- dogs.
How does infection happen?
There are the following ways to infect a person:
- contact - when caring for animals, butchering carcasses, working with manure;
- alimentary - when eating meat and dairy products that have not undergone heat treatment;
- aerogenic - when breathing in air with dust containing brucella (for example, in pens and pastures).
Brucellas are viable: in water they remain active for at least 2 months, in fresh meat - 3 months, in salted meat - 1 month, in milk - 1.5 months, in brynza - 2 months, in animal hair - 4 months.
It is important that the disease is not transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person.
Symptoms
In most cases, the symptoms of brucellosis in a person are similar to colds, sometimes they are completely absent at an early stage of the development of the disease.
Most often, brucellosis affects the following systems of the human body:
- nervous;
- cardiovascular;
- musculoskeletal;
- genitourinary;
- reproductive;
- digestive
- visual;
- lymphatic.
When brucellosis becomes chronic (3 months after infection), irreversible changes occur in the human body, most often leading to disability. Symptoms manifest themselves the brighter, the more severe the degree of the disease.
At the initial stage, the following are noted:
- weakness, general malaise;
- fatigue;
- discomfort when moving limbs;
- nervousness;
- headache;
- impaired appetite;
- insomnia.
At a later stage, the following symptoms appear:
- high body temperature (the mark on the thermometer can reach 40 degrees), which is extremely difficult or impossible to reduce;
- severe muscle and joint pain;
- discomfort with any movement of the body;
- increased sweating (observed both in the daytime and at night);
- mental and emotional disorders.
On examination, the doctor on palpation reveals an increase in the size of the liver, spleen and lymph nodes.
Diagnostics
During the initial appointment, the therapist must answer the following questions:
- What symptoms bother you
- professional employment;
- whether there is contact with pets;
- area of ​​residence.
If brucellosis is suspected, the specialist prescribes to the patient one of the possible types of diagnosis or several at once:
- blood analysis;
- puncture of the lymph nodes;
- puncture of cerebrospinal fluid.
In the vast majority of cases, the diagnosis is excluded or confirmed after analysis of the blood taken from the patient.
One of the most effective methods for laboratory diagnosis of brucellosis is the Heddelson and Wright reactions.
The essence of the methods
The Haddelson reaction and the Wright reaction are serological methods (i.e., involving the identification and study of antibodies in human biomaterial), complementing each other.
In practice, agglutination reactions are widely used in test tubes (Wright reaction) and on glass (Haddelson reaction). The agglutination test involves the detection of antibodies that react with brucella antigens. The study of antibodies by the Haddelson reaction is widely used when it is necessary to examine a large number of people. This is due to its simplicity and effectiveness.
Haddelson reaction: preparation, interpretation of the result
Indications for analysis are:
- massive outbreaks of infection;
- frequent contact with pets, including for professional needs;
- assessment of the state of immunity before the introduction of the vaccine;
- monitoring the development of an existing disease.
Before donating blood, you need to prepare:
- 4 hours before blood sampling, it is forbidden to eat food, it is allowed to drink only bottled still water;
- for 1-2 days it is recommended to reduce the intensity of physical activity;
- in 48 hours. exclude smoking and drinking alcohol.
Haddelson's reaction is a qualitative analysis; it does not provide information on the quantitative content of antibodies.
Analysis results, their interpretation:
- “Negative” - no antibodies were detected in the blood, brucellosis is excluded;
- “Doubtful” - it is necessary to donate blood again to confirm or exclude brucellosis, before that strictly follow the rules of preparation;
- "Positive" - ​​brucellosis is confirmed, you must additionally donate blood to the Wright reaction to determine the quantitative content of antibodies.
Wright's reaction: preparation, interpretation of the result
Indications for analysis are:
- diagnosis of brucellosis;
- quantification of antibodies in the blood and final confirmation of the diagnosis after a blood test for the Haddelson reaction.
It should be noted that, despite a large number of serological studies, this diagnostic method is the most informative.
Preparation for analysis:
- blood sampling is carried out in the morning on an empty stomach (at least 4 hours before analysis it is forbidden to eat food);
- in 48 hours. exclude smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages;
- for 7 days it is recommended to significantly limit physical activity.
Wright's reaction is a quantitative analysis, its results are given in the form of a numerical value of the titer:
- 0-40 - negative result, brucellosis is excluded;
- 40-50 - the result is doubtful, it is required to re-submit the blood for analysis, strictly observing the rules of preparation;
- 50-100 - the presence of brucellosis is not ruled out, perhaps 2 options: the patient has already suffered brucellosis and there are antibodies in his body, or a disease at the initial stage of development; additional examination is recommended in order to confirm or exclude the disease;
- 100-200 - brucellosis is confirmed, the probability of the transition of the disease into a chronic form is high;
- over 200 - the acute form of brucellosis is confirmed.
Wright and Heddelson's reactions to brucellosis are two unique diagnostic methods that allow you to identify the disease at any stage and determine the quantitative content of antibodies, which allows you to start treatment in a timely manner and choose the most effective treatment regimen.