Isolation of Brucella melitensis biotype 3 from epidural empyema in a Bosnian immigrant in Germany

Brucellosis is a regionally emerging infectious disease in Mediterranean countries, with an increasing number of human cases and high morbidity. Here, we describe the case of a severe B. melitensis biotype 3 infection in an immigrant who had contact to ruminants during a short-term stay in Bosnia before he returned to Germany. The patient developed thoracic spondylodiscitis accompanied by a large epidural empyema and neurological deficits. The isolated strain was characterized and compared to other strains from the Mediterranean region by Multiple Locus Variable Number of Tandem Repeat Analysis, showing minor differences to emerging strains from neighboring geographical areas.