Trend and Epidemiological Characteristics of Human Brucellosis in Western Algeria during 2014-2019: Results from the Regional Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System

Background: Brucellosis, as a zoonotic disease, is widespread among humans and animal andcontinues to be a major public health problem. The present study aimed to analyze the trends and epidemiological characteristics of human brucellosis in Ain Témouchent (Western Algeria).Methods: In this registry-based longitudinal study, data on the reported new cases of brucellosis for five years (2014 to 2019) were obtained from the provincial notifiable diseases surveillance system of Ain Temouchent. Using official population data, we calculated the incidence rate per 100,000 inhabitants.Results: From 2014 to 2019, 599 cases of brucellosis cases were notified in Ain Temouchent province (mean annual incidence: 26.37 cases/100,000 inhabitants). The yearly notification peaked in 2014 (n=170 cases). The highest incidence was reported for males (56%) compared to females (44%) with a sex ratio of 1.29. Regarding age, the highest incidence of notified cases for brucellosis was in the group aged 25-44 years and over, accounting for 37,73% of all notified cases. The lowest incidence was found in the age group between 0-14 years with 11.52%. The disease peaked in May with 139 cases. The geographical distribution indicated that the highest risk area of human brucellosis was Hammam Bou Hadjar and Ain Larabaa region.Conclusion: Our findings showed a high prevalence of human brucellosis in Ain Témouchent, with gender, age, and seasonal changes as the main risk factors for human brucellosis.