Cervical spondylitic myeloradiculopathy due to chronic brucellosis in a Ugandan teenager.

Introduction Brucellosis is a worldwide zoonosis that causes much clinical morbidity as well as considerable loss of productivity in animal husbandry. It has been present for millennia and has managed to elude eradication even in most developed countries1.Transmission of brucellosis to humans occurs through the consumption of infected, un-pasteurized animal products, through ruptures in skin/mucous membranes in direct contact with infected animal parts and fluids (e.g placenta, urine, dung) and via inhalation of infected aerosolized particles. Brucellosis is an occupational disease in herdsmen, abattoir/dairy workers, veterinarians, and microbiologic laboratory personnel .Consumption of unpasteurized dairyproducts e.g raw milk, yoghurt, and ice cream is the commonest means of transmission. Infection is also acquired through consumption of undercooked/under-roasted meats1. Human-to-human transmission through sexual fluids and breast milk has been documented2,3. Six species of brucella are known to cause human disease namely: B.melitensis(from goats,sheep,camels), B.abortus(from cows), B. suis(from pigs), B. canis(from dogs) and the recently discovered marine types: Brucella pinnipediae(from dolphins and whales) and B.cetaceae (from seals). The vast majority of cases worldwide are attributed to B. melitensis.1. After entering the human body and being taken up by local tissue lymphocytes, brucellae are transferred through regional lymph nodes into the circulation and are subsequently seeded throughout the body, with tropism for the reticuloendothelial system. The incubation period usually ranges from 2 to 4 weeks1. The disease is protean and complications can occur in any organ or body system namely: genitourinary, haematological, cutaneous and ocular1,4,5,6.