Alert for Brucella canis, a strange and incurable dog disease that infects humans

Brucella canis, An infectious disease affecting dogs is spreading in the UK. It already exists three cases of people having contracted the incurable canine disease and can be transmitted to humans through contact with infected bodily fluids.

The canine disease can cause abortions in pregnant dogs, as well as infertility in both males and females. Symptoms in dogs can vary and include fever, swollen lymph nodes, swollen testicles in males, weight loss and other health problems. Although it is usually benign in humans, it can cause meningitis and sepsis.

According to a report of the British government, Since the summer of 2020, an increasing number of cases of Brucella canis infections in dogs have been reported. Previously, the majority of these cases were imported directly into the UK from Eastern Europe.

But Dr Christine Middlemiss, chief veterinary officer at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: The telegraph What There is now evidence that some dogs are contracting the infection in the UK.

“We had a spread from a case in the UK to another dog in the UK. That’s because of kennel breeding,” Middlemiss said. “There are not many cases, very few. But it’s new for us.”

Brucella canis It is an endemic disease in some parts of the world, such as Eastern Europe and Romania, which is a hotspot for infected animals arriving in the UK. However, It is not yet considered endemic in the latter, due to the low number of infections. and all UK dogs who contracted Brucella canis were bred with an imported dog, had contact with a pregnant imported dog or are the offspring of an imported dog.

Anyway, There is growing concern about the disease, with three people infected this year. and the number of human trials carried out by the NHS has doubled.

A report published on Monday by Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance (HAIRS) suggests that although the disease is considered “low risk in the UK”, dog breeders and charities importing dogs from abroad are recommended to carry out tests to detect the disease.

“Right now, I’m recommending that voluntary testing, pre-importation testing, is a really sensible thing to do. “If you are bringing dogs in to breed, it would make perfect sense to carry out a pre-importation drug test on those dogs,” the vet told the Telegraph.

According to the report, The advice to people with affected dogs is euthanasia, which remains the only option available to permanently stop the spread of transmission. However, the decision is up to the dog owner, as a positive result for Brucella canis is not a definitive death sentence.

It depends a lot on the case, for people who do not raise dogs, do not have contact with other dogs and do not have children, it is very likely that there is a low risk of spread. But if they breed dogs, the circumstances are different.

Brucella canis is a disease that primarily affects dogs and is not common in humans. However, in rare cases, people may be affected if they have close, prolonged contact with infected dogs, especially if they come into contact with infected bodily fluids such as urine, saliva and reproductive secretions. It can also be transmitted by ingestion of contaminated tissues or fluids.

Symptoms of the disease in humans may include:

1. Fever: Fever is one of the most common and earliest symptoms of Brucella canis infection.
2. Faintness: You may feel general malaise, weakness and fatigue.
3. Muscle and joint pain: Flu-like muscle and joint pain can be significant symptoms.
4. Night sweats: Excessive night sweats can be a symptom of brucellosis.
5. Loss of appetite: Lack of appetite and weight loss are common among infected people.
6. Headache: Headaches may be another symptom.
7. Other symptoms: You may also experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, back pain, cough, sore throat, and breathing problems in more severe cases.

Canine Brucella in humans is usually diagnosed through blood tests and cultures to detect the presence of Brucella in the body. Treatment of brucellosis in humans usually involves the use of antibiotics for several weeks or even months, depending on the severity of the infection.

Cases have also been recorded in Chile. In a 2013 Catholic University of Temuci study, for example, 400 samples of dogs of both sexes, different ages and mainly mixed breeds were used. of which four, or 1% of the population studied, 2 women (0.5%) and 2 men (0.5%) had B. canis.

However, the study concluded that although its incidence is low, “It is still an indicator of the risk to the health of the human population if adequate health control of companion animals is not maintained. as happens with lazy dogs.