Posted by: kenmeger
Brucella canis, is an emerging issue for UK pets,
owners, and the veterinary profession. The Chief Veterinary
Officers (CVOs) for the UK, Scotland and Wales have issued
recommended advice to veterinary surgeons on Brucella
canis. The advice is advisory and voluntary, pending further
evidence gathering and assessment to inform appropriate potential
policy changes.
What is Brucella canis?
Canine brucellosis is an infectious disease of dogs that is
caused mainly by the bacteria, Brucella canis.
Historically the UK has been free of Brucella
canis, but the UK is seeing an increasing numbers of cases.
All UK cases have been in dogs that:
- have either been imported
- have mated with an imported dog
- have had contact with the birthing products of an imported
dog
- are the offspring (puppy) of an imported dog.
Infection in people
Brucella canis is a zoonotic pathogen and, while
reported cases of the infection in people are rare, it is likely
that some groups of people, such as children under the age of 5,
elderly people, and those with compromised immune systems, may
experience more severe symptoms if they become infected.
In humans, symptoms can include:
- fever
- loss of appetite and weight loss
- sweating
- headaches
- tiredness (fatigue)
- back and joint pain
Those who deal with imported dogs of unknown provenance, or
breeding dogs which may have contact with imported dogs, may be
more at risk of exposure
to Brucella canis.
The UK’s most recent assessment of the risks posed
by Brucella canis, has been published by the Human
Animal Infection and Risk Surveillance (HAIRS) group and is
available at Human Animal Infections and Risk
Surveillance group (HAIRS) - GOV.UK
(www.gov.uk). The assessment
confirms that although the risk to the wider population is very
low, in cases where there is close contact with an infected dog,
the likelihood of exposure and consequence increases.
Symptoms of Brucella canis in dogs
Infection in dogs may not result in obvious clinical signs or may
cause a range of clinical signs of varying severity. These can
include:
- reproductive signs such as abortion
- infertility and weak puppies
- discospondylitis
- lameness
- muscle weakness
- lymphadenopathy
- non-specific signs such as lethargy and weight loss.
Disease due to infection of dogs with Brucella
canis is not notifiable but detection of the presence
of the pathogen was made reportable under amendments to the
Zoonoses Order 1989 in 2021. This has allowed the UK to monitor
the number of suspect cases to identify if there is evidence of a
wider problem of ongoing transmission within the UK dog
population. We are confident this is still mostly a problem
associated with imported dogs used for breeding.
Diagnosing Brucella canis in
dogs
It is recommended that veterinary surgeons take samples for
testing when there are obvious and specific clinical signs that
raise suspicion of canine brucellosis. This is particularly
important for those dogs with a history of import or close
association with imported dogs.
The UK’s National Reference Laboratory for Brucella
canis is the APHA laboratory at
Weybridge. For detection of Brucella
canis infection, it is recommended
that both serological tests Brucella
canis SAT (TC1032) and Brucella
canis iELISA (TC0116) are undertaken. If
either test is positive, then the sample is considered
serologically positive. If both tests are negative, then the
sample is considered serologically negative. The diagnostic value
of some other tests such as lateral flow tests has not yet been
verified by the National Reference Laboratory (APHA Weybridge).
For more specific information on recommended testing, please see
our frequently asked
questions. This includes information on how to submit samples
to the APHA laboratory for testing, including from abroad, as
well as test costs and diagnostic specificity and sensitivity
values.
Treatment for Brucella canis
Unfortunately, there is no consistently effective treatment
protocol for canine brucellosis. The only way to completely
eliminate the risk of transmission of canine brucellosis is by
euthanasia of the infected animals. Where owners do not wish to
carry out euthanasia, risk reduction steps are recommended to be
undertaken for positive animals. These steps will mitigate
the risk of spread to other animals, owners and veterinary
personnel handling these animals.
- Minimise contact of positive animals with other dogs and
people to reduce likelihood of exposure of people and other
animals to high levels of bacteria.
- Avoid breeding of positive animals and consider neutering.
- Use of effective PPE by veterinary personnel when handling or
undertaking procedures on infected dogs.
- Antimicrobial treatment must also be considered, particularly
before surgery, noting that antibiotic treatment may reduce the
risk of spread of infection but will not clear Brucella
canis
To help improve the understanding of the disease amongst
veterinary professionals, the
Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have created a Summary
Information Sheet Canine-Brucellosis-Summary.pdf
(defra.gov.uk) covering further information, including
the management of the infection. For public health guidance,
visit our Brucella canis:
information for the public and dog owners - GOV.UK
(www.gov.uk) page.
