Heddelson's reaction in the diagnosis of brucellosis

Brucellosis - a serious disease, the carrier of which are domestic animals. Its danger lies in the fact that the symptoms of brucellosis in humans are similar to those that signal the onset of a cold. Meanwhile, brucellosis affects many organs and without proper treatment can lead to disability. In order to timely identify the disease, in most cases it is enough to donate blood to Wright and Heddleson's reactions. These methods are fast and informative.

Etiology of the disease

The causative agents of brucellosis are bacteria called brucella. They are stable in the external environment and die exclusively under the influence of high temperatures.

The main carriers and carriers of infection are animals (depending on the probability of infection are listed in the list in descending order):

• sheeps;
• Goats;
• cattle;
• Pigs;
• Hares;
• Deer;
• dogs.

How does the infection occur?

There are following ways of infection of the person:

• Contact - when caring for animals, carcassing, working with manure;
• Alimentary - when eating meat and dairy products that have not undergone heat treatment;
• Aerogenic - by inhalation of air with dust containing brucella (eg in pens and pastures).

Brucella are viable: in water they retain their activity for at least 2 months, in poultry meat - 3 months, in salted - 1 month, in milk - 1.5 months, in cheese - 2 months, in animal hair - 4 months.

It is important that the disease is not transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person.

Symptoms

In most cases, the symptoms of brucellosis in humans are similar to colds, sometimes completely absent at an early stage of the disease.

Most often brucellosis affects the following systems of the human body:

• Nervous;
• Cardiovascular;
• Musculoskeletal;
• Genitourinary;
• Reproductive;
• Digestive;
• Visual;
• Lymphatic.

When brucellosis passes into a chronic form (3 months after infection), irreversible changes occur in the human body, most often leading to disability. Symptoms manifest themselves all the more brightly, the heavier the degree of the disease.

At the initial stage, there are:

• Weakness, general malaise;
• Increased fatigue;
• Discomfort when limbs move;
• nervousness;
• headache;
• A violation of appetite;
• insomnia.

At a later stage, the following symptoms appear:

• High body temperature (the mark on the thermometer can reach 40 degrees), which is extremely difficult or impossible to reduce;
• Severe muscular and joint pain;
• Discomfort for any body movement;
• Increased sweating (observed both in daytime and at night);
• Mental and emotional disorders.

On examination, the doctor at palpation reveals an increase in the size of the liver, spleen and lymph nodes.

Diagnostics

During the initial admission, the therapist needs to answer the questions:

• What symptoms bother;
• Professional employment;
• Whether there is contact with domestic animals;
• District of residence.

If there is a suspicion of brucellosis, the specialist assigns one of the possible types of diagnosis to the patient or several at once:

• blood test;
• Puncture of lymph nodes;
• Puncture of cerebrospinal fluid.

In most cases, the diagnosis is excluded or confirmed after an analysis of the patient's blood.

One of the most effective methods of laboratory diagnosis of brucellosis are the reactions of Heddelson and Wright.

The essence of methods

Heddelson's reaction and Wright's reaction are serological methods (that is, involving the detection and investigation of antibodies in human biomaterial), complementing each other.

In practice, agglutination reactions in test tubes (Wright's reaction) and on glass (Heddelson reaction) are widely used. The agglutination test involves the detection of antibodies reacting with brucella antigens. The study of antibodies by the Heddelson reaction is widely used when it is necessary to examine a large number of people. This is due to its simplicity and efficiency.

Heddelson's reaction: preparation, interpretation of the result

Indications for analysis are:

• Massive outbreaks of infection;
• Frequent contact with pets, including by professional need;
• Assessment of the state of immunity before the introduction of the vaccine;
• Monitoring the development of an already existing disease.

Before you donate blood, you need to prepare:

• 4 hours before taking blood, it is forbidden to eat, it is allowed to drink only bottled still water;
• For 1-2 days it is recommended to reduce the intensity of physical exertion;
• For 48 hours. To exclude smoking and the use of alcoholic drinks.

The Heddelson reaction is a qualitative analysis, it does not provide information on the quantitative content of antibodies.

The results of the analysis, their interpretation:

• "Negative" - antibodies in the blood are not detected, brucellosis is excluded;
• "Doubtful" - it is necessary to donate blood again to confirm or exclude brucellosis, before it strictly follow the rules of preparation;
• "Positive" - brucellosis is confirmed, you must additionally donate blood to Wright's reaction to determine the quantitative content of antibodies.

Wright's reaction: preparation, interpretation of the result

Indications for analysis are:

• Diagnostics of brucellosis;
• The quantitative determination of antibodies in the blood and the final confirmation of the diagnosis after a blood test for the Heddelson reaction.

It should be noted that, despite the large number of serological studies, this method of diagnosis is the most informative.

Preparation for analysis:

• Blood sampling is performed in the morning hours on an empty stomach (at least 4 hours before the analysis it is forbidden to eat food);
• For 48 hours. To exclude smoking and the use of alcoholic drinks;
• For 7 days it is recommended to significantly limit physical activity.

Wright's reaction is a quantitative analysis, his results are given in the form of a numerical value of the title:

• 0-40 - the result is negative, brucellosis is excluded;
• 40-50 - the result is doubtful, it is required to re-donate blood for analysis, strictly following the rules of preparation;
• 50-100 - the presence of brucellosis is possible, there are 2 possible variants: the patient has already transferred brucellosis and in his body there are antibodies or disease at the initial stage of development; An additional examination is recommended to confirm or exclude the disease;
• 100-200 - brucellosis is confirmed, the probability of transition of the disease to a chronic form is high;
• Over 200 - confirmed the acute form of brucellosis.

Reaction of Wright and Heddleson on brucellosis - two unique diagnostic methods that allow to identify the disease at any stage and determine the quantitative content of antibodies, which allows timely treatment and choose the most effective therapy.