Study of 14 cases of brucellosis in employees of a meat packing plant as a professional disease

Uruguay 2009-2010

Abstract

The present study was carried out on 14 workers from the same meat packing plant industry who contracted brucellosis, diagnosed and assisted in the context of accident and occupational disease insurance in our country. They attended the labor medicine clinic of the Department of Occupational Health, Hospital de Clínicas, during the years 2009-2010 for advice on occupational health.

The objective of the present study was to describe and characterize the working conditions and clinical manifestations of the 14 workers of the same company with a diagnosis of brucellosis who consulted the Department’s polyclinic during the period covered by the review.

For this, a descriptive study was performed based on a pre-existing source provided by workers diagnosed with brucellosis. The interviews were carried out in the outpatient clinic of the Department of Occupational Health, from January 2009 to July 2010. The data obtained from the clinical histories provided by those involved and from the work history were they entered a statistical base (EPI info 2000).

Of the 14 individuals studied, two women and 12 men presented as more frequent symptoms: asthenia, myalgias, fever, arthralgia, sweating and headaches. Eight of the workers belonged to the work sector, 3 to mondonguería, viscera and corrals, 2 to cleaning and 1 to maintenance. The time of year where the highest numbers of cases were observed was January, February and March of 2009, which coincides with an increase in the slaughter of animals. The time of assistance was prolonged, coincides with other works consulted.

Conclusions:

the characteristics of the labor process and the presence of the biological agent in the environment are determinant in the appearance of the disease in exposed workers. The fundamental pillars in the prevention of this disease, are based on the training of workers and employers.

Improvements in the overall work environment and the conditions under which the task is performed are essential, as a link between the process and the probable damage to health.