Objective: Brucellosis is an important zoonotic infection that causes multi-organ involvement, and the effectiveness of culture and serological tests used in the diagnosis of the disease is limited. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in the diagnosis of brucellosis.

Material and Method: Sixty patients with positive Rose-Bengal Agglutination test and clinically suspected brucellosis and 60 control samples without these features were included in the study. The DNA of Brucella spp. was investigated in the samples by real-time PCR method. In the positive samples, the species identification was made, and virulance genes including omp19, wbkA, manA, mviN, urea and perA were studied with PCR.

Results: Brucella spp. DNA was found to be positive in 19 of 32 patients in the patient group who were diagnosed with acute disease or relapse by clinical evaluation and serological tests, and no positive result was obtained in any of the control samples. Accordingly, the sensitivity and specificity of PCR were calculated as 59.3% and 100%, respectively. It was determined that Brucella melitensis was the infecting agent in all positive patients and carried all the virulence genes studied.

Conclusion: Developing molecular methods and taking samples from the patient during the period of bacteremia may increase the effectiveness of PCR in the diagnosis of brucellosis. The identification of the pathogen as B. melitensis in all positive patients indicated that the transmission brucellosis to humans in our region was mainly from sheeps and goats, and appropriate control measures should be taken accordingly.