BRUCELLA CANIS
WHAT IS BRUCELLA CANIS?
Brucella Canis is a bacterium which causes canine brucellosis, an infectious disease which mainly affects dogs, but can also infect humans. This is a disease where historically, incidence in the UK was extremely rare. The disease is increasing in numbers in the UK due to the rise in imported dogs in recent years, and we have now had a patient test positive for Brucella Canis.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
Brucella Canis can cause infertility, late-term miscarriage, other reproductive problems in male and female dogs, lameness, stiffness, inflammation of the spine and joints, enlarged lymphnodes and poor coat condition.
Symptoms displayed in humans are flu-like such as fever, chills, headaches, sweating, fatigue, as wells as aches in the back, muscles and joints, loss of appetite and weight loss. If untreated, it can lead to long-term issues affecting heart valve, bones, nervous system and reproductive problems in women.
The risk of transmission to your dogs is very low as the disease is mostly spread between dogs through mating and birthing. In 2022, news emerged of the first UK case of dog-to-human transmission, highlighting the risks to those handling infected dogs. Although risk is low, infection can still happen especially after contact with birthing material, reproductive fluids, blood and urine. Veterinary staff who may deal with infected tissue and blood, are at higher risk of contracting the disease.
HIGH -RISK AND ENDEMIC COUNTRIES
The main source of Brucella Canis is from dogs imported from high risk countries, which include:
Eastern & Central Europe: Romania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia, Russia, Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, and Albania.
Southern Europe: Spain, Greece, Cyprus, and Italy.
Asia: China, Japan, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea, Philippines, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran.
Other Regions: Turkey, Central America, South America, Mexico, and parts of Africa.
HOW CAN I HELP PREVENT IT?
Rescue centres should be performing blood testing for Brucella Canis before dogs are imported, but this isn’t always the case. If you have access to your dog’s negative results, please send evidence into us via email so we can mark this on their file. If your dog hasn’t previously been tested for Brucella Canis and has been imported, been abroad, used for breeding or may have been exposed, please contact us to book your pet in for blood testing. This is particularly relevant to neutering procedures and dental procedures which we perform daily.
To further protect yourself, make sure to practise good hygiene and wash your hands after handling dogs and use gloves when handling whelping or reproductive fluids.
Please be aware if your dog has been imported from one of the high risk countries, we will require a negative result for us to safely and reasonably perform any routine surgery on your pets.
Further Information and References
Understandably, you may have many questions regarding the disease. The two links here have lots of information regarding Brucella Canis which may address any of your concerns:
Categorised in: News
