A confusing case: COVID-19 or acute brucellosis?

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Both brucellosis and COVID-19 infected patients may present with very different clinical presentations. In this case report, we aimed to present an acute brucellosis patient, with positive Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, which caused diagnostic confusion. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of a 52-year-old male patient who had fever, dry cough myalgia and a sore throat. He had no contact with a SARS-CoV-2 confirmed patient at the time of admission but had history of contact with sheep and goats. The overall number of white blood cells and platelets was within normal limits. He had elevated liver enzymes and lymphomonocytosis. SARS-CoV-2 was detected by RT-PCR on nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab. His computerized thoracic tomography examination was normal. Blood culture was negative, but Brucella serological test results were positive. CONCLUSIONS: This example demonstrates how co-infection can develop and why it is critical to screen out endemic infections, such as brucellosis, in COVID-19 patients.

Keywords

• covid-19
• brucellosis
• sars-cov-2
• endemic regions
• differential diagnosis