Nationwide Epidemiology of Human Brucellosis in Uzbekistan, 2015–2025: An 11-Year Retrospective Surveillance Study

Abstract

Introduction: Human brucellosis remains endemic in Central Asia, but recent nationwide epidemiological descriptions from Uzbekistan are limited. We characterized long-term temporal, geographic, exposure-related, demographic and seasonal patterns of registered human brucellosis. Methods: We conducted a retrospective descriptive analysis of national surveillance data for 2015–2025. Annual incidence, geographic distribution, probable sources and routes of infection, occupational and demographic characteristics, and month of disease onset were summarized. A simple linear regression assessed the long-term annual incidence trend, while monthly and seasonal patterns were evaluated descriptively using frequencies and percentages. Results: A total of 7,244 cases were registered. Annual counts declined from 870 in 2015 to 418 in 2020 and subsequently increased to 599 in 2025. Annual incidence showed an overall declining linear trend (slope −0.157 per 100,000 population per year; R² = 0.731; p < 0.001). Surkhandarya (21.67%) and Kashkadarya (18.95%) contributed the largest shares. Small ruminants (54.2%–78.5% across years) and direct contact (58.2%–80.4%) were the predominant reported source and transmission route. Males accounted for 75.5% of cases and adults aged ≥20 years for 76.8%. Monthly cases peaked in May (1,277; 17.6%), and 76.1% of cases occurred from March through August. Conclusions: Human brucellosis remains an important endemic zoonosis in Uzbekistan despite an overall long-term decline in registered incidence. The geographic, exposure-related and pronounced spring–summer concentration supports targeted, seasonally intensified prevention and integrated human– animal surveillance within a One Health framework.