Brucellosis is a zoonotic infectious disease that can be transmitted to humans through infected milk and dairy products. There are limited cases with Brucella infection acquired via breastfeeding in infants in the literature. Also, Coombs-positive autoimmune hemolytic anemia as a result of the disease is comparatively rare when considering the other frequent hematologic complications. We report a mother who acquired the infection as a result of consuming infected milk and dairy products after delivery and of her 5-month-old baby, who had acquired the disease via breastfeeding and presented with Coombs-positive autoimmune hemolytic anemia.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Al-EissaY, al-NasserM. Haematological manifestations of childhood brucellosis. Infection, 1993; 21:23–26.
2.
Al-EissaY, AssuhaimiS, Al-FawazI, HiggyKet al.Pancytopenia in children with brucellosis: Clinical manifestations and bone marrow findings. Acta Haematol, 1993; 89:132–136.
3.
Al-EissaY, KambaIAM, Al-NasserMN, Al-HabibSAet al.Childhood brucellosis: A study of 102 cases. Pediatr Infect Dis J, 1990; 9:74–79.
4.
Al-MafadaSM, Al-EissaYA, SaeedES, KambalAM. Isolation of Brucella melitensis from human milk. J Infect, 1993; 26:346–348.
5.
AladjidiN, LevergerG, LeblancTet al.New insights into childhood autoimmune hemolytic anemia: A French national observational study of 265 children. Haematologica, 2011; 96:655.
6.
BirdT, StephensonJ. Acute haemolytic anaemia associated with polyagglutinability of red cells. J Clin Pathol, 1973; 26:868–870.
7.
BourantasLK, PappasG, KapsaliE, GougopoulouDet al.Brucellosis induced autoimmune hemolytic anemia treated with rituximab. Ann Pharmacother, 2010; 44:1677–1680.
8.
CarreraAI, RodríguezLMJ, SapiñaAM, López LafuenteAet al.Probable transmission of brucellosis by breast milk. J Trop Pediatr, 2006; 52:380–381.
9.
ColmeneroJD, RegueraJM, MartosF. Complications associated with Brucella melitensis infection: A study of 530 cases. Medicine, 1996; 75:195–211.
10.
CorbelMJ, BeechingNJ. Brucellosis. KasperDL, BraunwaldE, FauciAS, HauserSLet al.Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 16th. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005; 914–917.
11.
CosteaN, YakulisV, HellerP. Inhibition of cold agglutinins by mycoplasma pneumonia antigens. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med, 1972; 139:476–479.
HorwitzCA, SkradskiK, ReeceEet al.Haemolytic anemia in previously healthy adult patients with CMV infections: Report of two cases and an evaluation of subclinical hemolysis in CMV mononucleosis. Scan J Hematol, 1984; 33:35–42.
16.
JefferiesLC. Transfusion therapy in autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am, 1994; 8:1087–1104.
17.
KayaS. Brucellosis and dificulties in treatment. Turkish J Infect, 2006; 20:227–230.
18.
KoseS, HaliciogluO, TurkenM, BagOIet al.Transmission of brucellosis via breastfeeding a mother and her preterm baby. Infect Dis Clin Pract, 2011; 19:433–435.
ManturBG, MulimaniMS, BidariLH, AkkiASet al.Bacteremia is an unpredictable as clinical manifestations in human brucellosis. Int J Infect Dis, 2008; 12:303–307.
21.
PalanduzA, PalanduzS, GulerK, GulerN. Brucellosis in a mother and her young infant: Probable transmission by breast milk. Int J Infect Dis, 2000; 4:55–56.
PappasG, PapadimitriouP, AkriditisN, ChristouLet al.The new global map of human brucellosis. Lancet Infect Dis, 2006; 6:91–99.
24.
Policy Statement. Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics., 2012; 129:e827–e841. E
25.
RosenfieldRE, SchmidtPJ, CalvoRCet al.Anti-i, a frequent cold agglutinin in infectious mononucleosis. Vox Sang, 1965; 10:631.
26.
SariI, KocyigitI, AltuntasF, KaynarLet al.An unusal case of acute brucellosis presenting with Combs-positive autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Int Med, 2008a. 47:1043–1045.
27.
SariI, AltuntasF, HaciogluS. A multicenter retrospective study defining the clinical and hematological manifestations of brucellosis and pancytopenia in a large series: Hematological malignancies, the unusual cause of pancytopenia in patients with brucellosis. Am J Hematol, 2008b. 83:334–339.
28.
SpinkWW. What is chronic brucellosis?Ann Intern Med, 1951; 35:358.
29.
Summaries of Infectious Diseases. PeterG. Red Book: Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases, 24th. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics, 1997; 157–159.
30.
YoungEJ. Brucellosis: Current epidemiology, diagnosis, and management. Curr Clin Top Infect Dis, 1995; 15:115.
31.
YoungES. Brucella species. MandellGL, BennetJE, DolinR. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases, 4th. New York: Churchill Livingstone, 1995; 2053–2060.
32.
YumukZ, O'CallaghanD. Brucellosis in Turkey—an overview. Int J Infect Dis, 2012; 16:228–235.
