Canine brucellosis
Brucella canis infection is a common disease of dogs that can affect humans and is therefore a One Health issue. Clinical signs in dogs include reproductive failure, diskospondylitis, or uveitis, and can range from mild to severe. Diagnosis of B canis infection in dogs can be somewhat difficult because many infected dogs are asymptomatic, bacteremia may be intermittent, and current serologic and molecular diagnostic tools are imperfect. Although B canis infections are uncommon in humans, several documented cases have been reported in the literature, and this disease is likely underreported in humans.
Continued support for disease control efforts, including detection and sustainable funding for surveillance activities toward the ultimate elimination of brucellosis, should remain a national priority for the protection of human and animal health.
Brucellosis research priorities
- Develop laboratory standards and improved diagnostic tests for canine brucellosis.
- Further clarify the epizootiology of canine brucellosis, including disease pathogenesis and transmission parameters, which can be utilized for control and elimination of the disease.
Population disease management
- The AVMA urges state and federal agencies to work together to develop a disease management plan utilizing a One Health approach, including control of the inter- and intrastate spread of B canis and elimination of brucellosis from the canine population.