To find out the epidemic characteristics of brucellosis in Harbin and provide scientific evidences for development of countermeasures.

The brucellosis surveillance data were collected from the "National Diseases Surveillance Information Management System" and the municipal surveillance results from 2013 to 2017 in Harbin; the place, time and population distribution characteristics of brucellosis were analyzed by descriptive epidemiological methods.

A total of 2 909 cases of brucellosis were reported in Harbin from 2013 to 2017, and the incidence of brucellosis declined from 5.98 per 100 000 to 4.53 per 100 000, the epidemic situation was mainly sporadic, and an outbreak caused by a live Brucella vaccine (A19 strain) was reported in 2017; all eighteen districts (counties or cities) in Harbin had reported epidemic in the past five years, Shuangcheng, Yilan, Binxian and Bayan had a large number of cases, accounted for 53.76% (1 564/2 909) of the total number of patients in Harbin; the time of onset focused on March to July, which accounted for 57.17% (1 663/2 909) of annual incidence; age distribution, mainly young adults aged 30 to 59, accounted for 72.57% (2 111/2 909); gender distribution predominantly male, accounted for 75.42%(2 194/2 909); and occupational distribution predominantly farmers, accounted for 86.28% (2 510/2 909). In the municipal surveillance stations from 2013 to 2017, 7 005 cases were surveyed, of which 2 141 cases received serological test, the positive rate was 3.32% (71/2 141), except 2016, the serum positive rate was decreasing year by year (χ²= 13.927, P < 0.05), and the monitoring results of municipal monitoring stations can better reflect the epidemic trend.

The incidence of brucellosis in Harbin is decreasing year by year. However, the outbreak caused by the new vaccines should be given high attention and we should strengthen prevention and control of the disease.

Brucellosis; Epidemiologic studies; Surveillance