ArticleBMC public health2025
Malaria misdiagnosis substantially contributes to the underestimation of global human brucellosis incidence.
Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Scoping review of brucellosis in Armenia: persistent neglect, significant knowledge gaps, and a necessity for innovative research, surveillance, and control.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2025Pooled it
- Brucella abortus and public health risk: Prevalence in milk sold at open markets in Cameroon.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
- Prevalence and spatial distribution characteristics of human brucellosis in Ningxia from 2010 to 2024.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
- A Diagnostic Accuracy Study of Combined OMP22-PCR and SAT for Brucellosis in Xinjiang, China.Infection and drug resistance · 2026Article
- Knowledge, attitudes, and practices among livestock owners, traders, and slaughterhouse inspectors in Cameroon reveals marginal understanding of livestock and human brucellosis.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBrucellosis is a neglected and re-emerging zoonotic disease of nearly worldwide distribution. Recently, a new model utilizing publicly available data, voluntarily provided by countries to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), estimated a global annual incidence of at least 1.62-2.10 million cases. However, global and regional knowledge gaps, partially attributed to lack of diagnostic capability and disease unawareness, result in misdiagnosis.
methodsThis study incorporated misdiagnosis to assess the potential impact on incidence estimates. Specifically, we examined the potential impact of misdiagnosing brucellosis as malaria. Incidence rates modeled from WOAH data comprised a baseline estimate for brucellosis rates. A range of potential misdiagnosis rates based on World Bank malaria data and scientific literature were utilized to estimate the number of misdiagnosed cases. We assumed a conservative misdiagnosis range of 0.25-4.00% based on clinical studies that reported a 4-11% misdiagnosis rate.
resultsWe show that malaria misdiagnosis can significantly impact global annual incidence estimation of brucellosis. Rates of 0.25% increase brucellosis incidence by 0.34-5.4 M cases, while rates of 4% increase these estimates by 2.43-7.45 M cases.
conclusionsHuman brucellosis misdiagnosed as malaria can significantly impact global annual incidence estimates. Enhanced efforts are needed to identify misdiagnosed cases in countries where both diseases are endemic.
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