An outbreak of brucellosis via air-born transmission in a kitchen wastes disposing company in Lianyungang, China.

Brucellosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic Brucella spp.. An outbreak caused by B. Melitensis in Jinchi Biotechnological Company engaged in collecting and disposing of kitchen wastes from catering units in Lianyungang is reported here. The epidemiological investigation and serosurvey were conducted, and the pathogen detection was performed. Three confirmed brucella cases, one probable case and two recessive infectors were found out; the attack rate was 33.3%, the screening positive rate by RBPT was 25.0%. The pathogen was B. melitensis identified from three patients: two for B. melitensis, biovars 1, and one for B. melitensis, biovars 2. The main symptoms included fever, sweating, headache, arthralgia, weakness and chill. The epidemiological investigation found that the transmission mode was air-born transmission through aerosols from the processing of unloading the food residues and wastes into the feeding inlet in this outbreak. This outbreak of brucellosis was confirmed with patients' clinical symptoms, laboratory testing and epidemiological finds. The disinfection and personal protection were complemented by the kitchen wastes disposing company.