Epidemiological and Clinical Features of People with Malta Fever in central Iran, 2013-2018: results from national surveillance system

Background: Malta fever is one of the most common diseases among humans and animals in some areas of Iran. This study investigated the epidemiological features of People with Malta Fever in Yazd province in central Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1117 cases of Malta Fever that registered by brucellosis national surveillance system at Yazd University of Medical Sciences from January 2013 and December 2018 were extracted. All analyses were done using GIS version 10.3 and SPSS. The significance level was set at <0.05. Results: The average cumulative incidence of Malta Fever was 16.35 (14.18-18.51) per 100,000 over the 6-year study in the province. The highest occurrence in khatam and Abarkuh counties and the lowest in the capital of Yazd Province, i.e., Yazd City (116.69 (114.10-119.27) vs. 8.60(6.95-10.24) in 100000). About 56.4% of patient were males with the mean age of 37.38 +/- 19.46 years. 65.4% of the patients lived in urban areas and 81.3% had a history of consuming of unpasteurized dairy products. The highest proportion was observed among housewives(32.8%) and livestock breeders(14.3%).The most common clinical manifestations recorded were fever (75.4%) and chills (59%) Myalgia (49%), Back pain(47.4%) and Sweating(43.2%), respectively. Conclusion: The findings of the present study reveal that at-risk groups for Malta Fever in Yazd province include young and middle-aged men, housewives, livestock breeders, people have a history of contact with animals and consuming of unpasteurized dairy products especially raw milk and cheese in south districts and urban areas of Yazd province.