Abstract

PISANI, Adriana; VACAREZZA, Mariela  and  TOMASINA, Fernando. Study of 14 cases of brucellosis in employees of a meat packing plant as a professional disease. Uruguay 2009-2010. Rev. Méd. Urug. [online]. 2017, vol.33, n.3, pp.9-25. ISSN 0303-3295.  https://doi.org/10.29193/rmu.33.3.1.

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.

Keywords : Brucellosis; Working conditions.

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