What is canine brucellosis?

A dog breeding facility in Iowa has been pinpointed as the source of an outbreak of canine brucellosis, a highly contagious strain of disease that affects both dogs and humans.

USA Today reports that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is in the process of notifying people who bought potentially exposed dogs from the breeder, based in Marion County, southwest of state capital Des Moines. The animals still at the small commercial facility are being quarantined and tested for the disease.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the risk of pet owners becoming infected is low, but that people who work closely with dogs, such as breeders and veterinary staff, “face an increased risk since they may be exposed to blood, tissues, and fluids associated with the birthing process”.

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So what are the symptoms and effects of the disease?

What is canine brucellosis?

Canine brucellosis is a highly contagious disease caused by the Brucella canis, or B. canis, bacteria. It spreads quickly among dogs because “large numbers” of this bacteria are “shed in the genital secretions (semen or vaginal discharges) of an infected dog”, according to veterinary chain VCA Animal Hospitals. Smaller amounts may also be found in the dog’s urine or saliva.

The most common route of infection is through “licking contaminated urine or discharges from the reproductive tract, or licking or chewing placental material or aborted fetuses”, the organisation adds. The infection can be sexually transmitted too.

USA Today says canine brucellosis has been reported in North, Central and South America, and in parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, and is “more often detected in breeding kennels than in households”.

What are the symptoms in dogs?

Brucellosis can cause serious health complications in dogs. Although rarely fatal, it usually causes an infection of the genitals that can result in infertility in animals of both sexes, and miscarriages and stillbirths in female dogs.

VCA Animal Hospitals reports that male dogs infected with brucellosis develop epididymitis, a painful infection in part of the testicle, while female dogs suffer an infection of the uterus.

The hospital adds that there is currently no treatment to eliminate the bacteria in dogs, so any animal “that has been infected with B. canis should be considered to be infected for life”.

The Des Moines Register recommends that owners of infected dogs should prevent the further spread of the disease by cleaning and disinfecting areas exposed to the animal, as well as keeping them away from other dogs. At-risk dogs should also be tested for the bacteria prior to breeding, the newspaper adds.

What are its symptoms in humans?

Although brucellosis is zoonotic - meaning it can be passed to humans - cases among people are rarely caused by the Brucella canis strain. Instead, the most common cause is consumption of unpasteurised dairy products made from the milk of animals including goats and cattle infected with the Brucella melitensis strain.

Transmission of canine brucellosis to humans is possible, however. If contracted, the infected person may experience unpleasant flu-like symptoms including include fever, sweats, headache, joint pain and weakness, NBC News reports.

Humans who catch canine brucellosis generally need to “take antibiotics for at least six weeks”, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Even after this run of antibiotics is complete, “symptoms may not go away completely for several months”, warns the Minnesota-based academic medical centre, which adds: “The disease can also return and may become chronic.”

Experts say that people worried about contracting the disease should wear protective clothing such as gloves and masks if handling reproductive tissues in dogs, and should always wash their hands after touching animals.