A case series of brucellosis: A great mimicker

Brucellosis is a common zoonotic disease worldwide. Although it is commonly neglected in India, there are pockets where it is prevalent. The disease tends to involve multiple organs, mimicking other illnesses. The symptoms are fever, sweating, and musculoskeletal pain. In 40-70% of patients, musculoskeletal involvement is the most common systemic manifestation. Blood culture, serological tests, and PCR are the available test formats for diagnosing brucellosis. Automated blood culture methods enable earlier diagnosis of brucellosis when presenting as a case of Fever of unknown origin (FUO). Here, we present four cases of brucellosis in a nonendemic area. Of these, two cases presented as spondylodiscitis, mimicking TB spine, one as endocarditis, and the other as acute brucellosis. All four cases were diagnosed with microbiological and radiological diagnostic support and successfully treated as per standard treatment guidelines. The possibility of brucellosis as a differential diagnosis in patients with nonspecific symptoms affecting the bones and unexplained prolonged fever should be considered.