Brucellosis and veterinary surgeons.

Abstract

Forty-six veterinary surgeons were given a full clinical examination, serological examinations with estimates of immunoglobulins, and supplementary haematological and radiological investigations. Thirty-five complained of one or more symptoms, and eight had abnormal physical signs which might have been caused by infection with Brucella abortus, but neither sereological tests results nor immunoglobulin estimates bore any special relation to the clinical features. The soundest way of assessing ill health which had possibly been caused by brucellosis seemed to be thorough clinical examination and disregard of serologican findings. Interpreting results by the usual serological tests in the absence of a clinical examination is probably of doubtful value and may even be misleading.