OUTBREAK OF BRUCELLOSIS AT A UNITED-STATES PORK PACKING PLANT

In 1992, the North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Nat ural Resources received 18 case reports of brucellosis from a county h ealth department. All patients had potential exposure to the hill floo r of one pork processing plant. A subsequent National Institute for Oc cupational Safety and Health health hazard evaluation surveyed 154 (99 %) of 156 kill floor workers of this plant and found that 30 (19%) had evidence of recent (or persistent) brucellosis. These data show that significant exposure to Brucella is occurring among packing plant work ers in North Carolina and suggest that some of the approximately 38,00 0 production workers in pork processing plants in the United States ar e at risk of contracting swine brucellosis. Additional measures may ne ed to be taken to prevent occupational exposure to Brucella.