Brucellosis in dogs: basic information, therapy and degree of danger to humans. What is brucellosis in dogs - what is dangerous and how to treat

Diseases of our pets are rarely really dangerous for people. Well, a flea bites someone, in extreme cases - there is a risk of picking up helminths, but there are not so many diseases that are dangerous to human and animal life (zooanthroponoses). Another thing is brucellosis in dogs. If your dog is diagnosed with this disease, there is a possibility of very big trouble.

What it is? This is a dangerous infectious disease caused by Brucella canis. It is important to understand that other varieties of this microorganism (Brucella melitensis, abortus, suis, etc.) can also infect dogs and humans, but in a specific case, we will discuss Br. Canis. Note that in medical and veterinary practice, cases of disease when this particular pathogen is detected are quite rare. But still, this strain should not be written off, since there will be many problems even with its single appearance. It is important to understand that this disease is transmitted to humans!

In females, this infection manifests itself in the form of abortions between the 45th and 59th days of pregnancy. In males, orchitis or infertility is often detected, the quality of sperm drops sharply. Non-sex related symptoms include the following: the animal becomes lethargic and depressed, there is a loss of libido, a significant increase in subcutaneous lymph nodes. Puppies with a probability of almost 100% become infected in the womb, and therefore are born already sick, regardless of whether they have clinical signs.

Read also: Tetanus is an infectious disease in dogs

Brucellosis is transmitted from dog to dog during mating. There are also very common cases when infection occurs when animals come into contact with secretions from the nose, mouth, and genitals. By the way, puppies that remain uninfected in the womb become infected during childbirth. It should be noted that males can be permanent carriers of infection even after clinical recovery.

What to do if brucellosis is found in a dog? We immediately note that it is difficult to treat this disease. In the case when the infection is detected in a kennel or in stray dogs that cannot be physically isolated, it is recommended to euthanize all sick animals. Treatment is expensive, long, success is not guaranteed. Relapses are common even after a long course of antibiotic therapy. To reduce the risk of infection of other animals and humans, it is advisable to sterilize dogs or. In males, everything is very bad, since brucella is able to “lodge” in the prostate gland for a long time (almost for life). All care items, bedding and even kennels with a positive diagnosis for brucellosis should be burned. We specifically do not consider the treatment of this disease in detail, since it is strongly not recommended to treat sick dogs!

Important! The danger of brucellosis is that its pathogen can enter the human body through intact skin! It is enough for the owner to simply touch the placenta or newborn puppies with a hand without a glove to get sick himself.

All females and males used for breeding purposes must be tested for brucellosis without fail. An analysis for brucellosis (serological reaction) helps to identify the disease. At the slightest suspicion of this infection or a blurred result of a diagnostic study, the animal isolates. It is re-tested after four to six weeks.

Important! No measure, with the exception of the euthanasia of an infected animal, guarantees safety for humans. If you have children, choose: their health or the life of your dog. Alas, but in this case everything is very serious. Brucellosis in humans is practically incurable.

Read also: Worms in the feces of a dog: what to do, how to treat?

How does human infection occur and what does it threaten?

Quite a lot of cases of human infection with the canine form of brucellosis are recorded in the world. If a person has poor health, he is already sick or has recently been ill, then he has every chance to pick up this infection. Almost 100% probability of such an outcome in the elderly and children who have been in contact with infected pathological material.

It should not be assumed that the pathogen can be present only in secretions from the genital organs. Brucella can be present in dog urine, feces and nasal secretions, although not in very high concentrations. However, there is a high risk of infection upon contact with them. The pathogen can survive in the external environment for a long time. Therefore, contaminated dust and dirt, water, feces, clothing and other objects can pose a threat for at least six months.

Of course, this is not a medical resource, but it is desirable for all dog breeders to know about the manifestations of brucellosis in humans. The most common clinical manifestations of the human form of the disease include: prolonged, intermittent or irregular fever, which is accompanied by headache, weakness, swollen lymph nodes. Joints and heart valves are affected. With this disease, the hyaline cartilage on the heads of the bones in the joints is destroyed, when walking or any movement, terrible pains occur, comparable to those in cancer.

And further. When infected with the canine form in humans, the disease is not detected for a long time, since diagnosis is difficult due to late-appearing antibodies. Symptoms appear late (up to several months after infection). In some cases, clinical signs may appear three to four weeks after infection. If a person falls ill with brucellosis, he is guaranteed to remain disabled!!!

Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria from the genus Brucella. There are different types of Brucella that infect sheep, goats, cattle, deer, elk, pigs, dogs and other animals.

Canine brucellosis is a contagious infection caused by the bacterium Brucella canis. This bacterial infection is highly contagious between dogs. Infected dogs usually develop reproductive tract infections, or STDs.

What are the symptoms of brucellosis?

Brucellosis in dogs tends to cause reproductive problems such as infertility and miscarriages, with some other clinical signs. The disease is most common in sexually healthy adult dogs.

Male dogs infected with brucellosis develop epididymitis, an infection of the epididymis. When sperm is produced in the testicles, it is immature. Sperm matures in the spiral segments of the seminal ducts, or appendages, where it is stored until ejaculation. A dog with a recent infection often has an enlarged scrotum or testicle and possibly scrotal dermatitis. The sperm quality will be poor. In chronic brucellosis, the testicles atrophy or become shrunken.

Brucellosis-infected bitches develop a uterine infection, which can lead to infertility or pregnancy problems. A dog with brucellosis usually gives birth to stillborn or weak puppies, or terminates the pregnancy at 45-55 days.

In the early stages of brucellosis, the main symptom is swollen lymph nodes. Sometimes Brucella canis bacteria infect the intervertebral discs, eyes, kidneys, or brain. If bacteria infect these tissues, then the symptoms will be related to that infected body system.

How is canine brucellosis spread?

A large number of Brucella bacteria are spread through the genital secretions of an infected dog. Smaller numbers of bacteria may be found in the dog's urine or saliva. After a pregnancy is terminated due to brucellosis, the bitch will continue to shed bacteria-infected secretions for 4-6 weeks after the abortion.

Dogs become infected with brucellosis through contact with contaminated fluids. The most common route of infection is oral (through licking of urine or genital secretions), however dogs can also get the infection sexually and through droplets (when a dog sniffs urine or secretions) or through other mucous membranes such as the eyes.

How is brucellosis diagnosed in dogs?

The infection is usually diagnosed with a blood test. With the help of the test, brucellosis is usually detected in the blood 8-12 weeks after infection.

What is the treatment for brucellosis in dogs?

Although antibiotics can successfully control the infection, they cannot permanently eradicate it, so any dog ​​infected with brucellosis should be treated as infected for its entire life. Even if an acute infection is treated with antibiotics, a dog can still periodically shed the bacteria for the rest of its life.

Surgical spaying of an infected dog reduces the spread of the disease in the environment, thereby reducing the risk of infecting other dogs.

How to control brucellosis?

Brucellosis in dogs is a fairly rare disease. However, the infection poses a serious threat to breeding dogs, so all animals that are used for breeding purposes should be checked every 3-6 months. New dogs that have recently entered the kennel should be quarantined for 8-12 weeks, then they should also be tested for brucellosis.

In the US, for example, brucellosis is a notifiable disease, which means that the disease is of great public health importance, and veterinarians and physicians are required to report all cases to the appropriate authorities.

Is there a risk of contracting human brucellosis from an infected dog?

Brucellosis is a zoonotic infection, which means that it can be transmitted from animals to humans. While humans can become infected through contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products such as milk or meat, it is extremely rare for brucellosis to be transmitted from dog to person.

Breeders and veterinarians who handle the blood and other secretions of infected animals are at increased risk of contracting the infection. Pet owners are not at risk because they do not come into contact with the dog's blood or genital secretions. However, people with weakened immune systems should avoid contact with a dog that has been diagnosed with brucellosis.

People who come into contact with breeding dogs, newborn puppies, or aborted fetuses should use caution and strict sanitation practices. Whenever possible, disposable gloves should be worn before handling newborn puppies. After removing disposable gloves, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

Brucellosis is an infectious, predominantly chronic disease of animals, related to anthropozoonoses (diseases common to humans and animals).

In females, brucellosis is manifested by abortions and retention of the placenta, the birth of unviable young, infertility; in males - orchitis. Possible inflammation of the joints. There is evidence in the literature that dogs with brucellosis can pose a danger to humans. Due to the social danger, brucellosis is included in the list of quarantine diseases.

Brucellosis in dogs is caused by Brucella canis. For the first time on the territory of the Russian Federation, a culture of Brucella was isolated from a dog in 1994 in the Volgograd region. This culture was identified in VGNKI as Br. canis (K. V. Shumilov et al., 1996). Until 1994, brucellosis was registered only in non-CIS countries.

This disease has spread among small domestic animals over the past 15-20 years. This can be associated with an increase in the number of animals imported from abroad, as well as with the export of thoroughbred animals from Russia to international exhibitions.

Maintaining statistics on canine brucellosis is complicated mainly due to the latent course of the disease, as well as optional, rare diagnosis of stray and domestic animals. So, according to the information and analytical center of Rosselkhoznadzor, in 2007 the volume of diagnostic tests for brucellosis in the districts of the Russian Federation amounted to: % depending on the district, while information on dogs is given only for the Southern Federal District: about 4% of the total number of dogs in this region underwent research.

epidemiological data
Brucellosis is common in many countries of the world. Brucellosis is susceptible to large and small cattle, pigs, horses, deer, camels, fur-bearing animals, dogs, rodents.

Pathogen source- sick animals (they are especially dangerous in the clinical manifestation of the disease), brucella carriers that excrete the pathogen during abortion, during childbirth, with feces, urine, milk.

Main routes of infection- alimentary, through an intact mucous membrane, during mating, through the skin (damaged and intact).

Newborn animals can become infected from a sick mother, as well as by artificially feeding them with milk contaminated with brucella.

The spread of brucellosis stray dogs and rats that eat afterbirths and aborted fetuses contribute.

Brucellosis in dogs is characterized by a chronic course, often occurring in a latent (latent) form. Of the registered cases of canine brucellosis, males predominate among infected animals (about 60-70%), no breed predisposition is noted. Most often, cases of seropositive reactions are detected in dogs from 1 year to 7 years. According to the experimental data of S.P. Sonin (2000), infection of dogs younger than a year and older than 6 years was observed, respectively, in 4% and 5% of dogs. The greatest number of positive serological reactions for brucellosis among dogs is observed in the autumn-winter months.

Br. canis is not highly contagious, however, the latent and chronic course of brucellosis in dogs, rare diagnostics and prolonged release of brucella into the environment by infected and sick animals create a risk of infection.

Brucella in dogs is excreted in feces, urine, and vaginal secretions, but direct contact during mating, as well as licking and sniffing, has the greatest role in the spread of brucellosis among the dog population.

Pathogenesis
When an animal is infected, brucella from the sites of introduction through the lymphatic pathways are brought into the regional lymph nodes, then into the blood. With the blood flow, the pathogen enters the organs of the reticuloendothelial system, where new foci of infection are formed with a repeated release of the pathogen into the blood, which determines the development of a general toxic infectious syndrome. From the blood, the pathogen again penetrates into the liver, central nervous system, etc., but the musculoskeletal system and the reproductive system are most often affected. The immune response that develops in brucellosis does not provide a bacteriological cleansing of the body in a significant part of the animals. This is facilitated by the possibility of transforming Brucella into L-forms, in which the pathogen not only has a less antigenic irritant effect on immunocompetent cells, but also more easily tolerates the effects of immune system factors and antimicrobial drugs.

Symptoms
In dogs and fur animals, the clinical picture is blurred, predominantly reproductive organs are damaged: in males, epididymitis, orchitis (accompanied by further atrophy of the testicles) are observed, in females - pathological discharge from the genital tract, catarrhal and catarrhal-croupous endometritis, abortions on the 7th-9th week (however, researchers do not find pronounced pathological changes in aborted fetuses).

A frequent and sometimes the only sign is repeated infertile matings of bitches with obviously healthy males, that is, those from which other females give viable offspring.

Cases of the course of the disease without damage to the genital tract are described, when deviations from the normal state are expressed in remitting fever, enlarged lymph nodes, loss of appetite, indigestion, enlarged liver, signs of nephritis, weight loss and nervous phenomena.

Diagnosis
The diagnosis is made on the basis of laboratory research methods, taking into account clinical and epizootological data, the results of a postmortem autopsy of dead animals.

In all cases of abortion, a bacteriological examination of the fetus (stomach) is carried out and a bioassay is placed. Bacteriological studies with samples of urine, feces, milk are carried out when other signs of brucellosis appear. At the initial diagnosis, it is necessary to isolate the culture of the causative agent of brucellosis.

The main method of in vivo diagnosis of brucellosis is serological: agglutination reaction (RA), complement fixation reaction (CFR) with paired blood sera taken after 2 weeks.

According to the 1996 instructions contained in the “Sanitary Rules for the Prevention of Diseases Dangerous to Humans and Animals”, a diagnosis of canine brucellosis is considered to be established upon isolation of a culture of brucella from a biomaterial or a positive bioassay, as well as upon positive results of serological studies of unvaccinated animals in the Republic of Armenia - 50 IU / ml and above, RSK in serum dilution - 1:5 and above.

Treatment
Sick farm animals are to be slaughtered, they are not treated.

Most researchers believe that dogs are not epidemiologically dangerous. In the case of a clinical picture, males are castrated, bitches are taken out of breeding.

In a number of literary sources it is noted that antibiotic therapy has the greatest effect in the treatment of brucellosis: tetracyclines (oxytetracycline, metacycline), fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, etc.), chloramphenicol.

Some researchers (V. A. Grishina, 2007) successfully use an experimental vaccine to treat dogs with brucellosis.

However, there is currently no legal framework that describes how to deal with animals that test positive in serological tests: whether infected dogs should be euthanized or treated.

Recommended reading
Brucellosis is a fairly rare infectious disease among small domestic animals. Much more often, veterinarians have to deal with canine parvovirus enteritis, leptospirosis, chlamydia and feline calicivirus, and other common contagious diseases.

All these diseases are described in N. A. Masimov’s textbook “Infectious Diseases of Dogs and Cats”. This work can not only be useful for students in the study of epizootology, but also allow veterinarians and clinics to find practical value. The book by N. A. Massimov "Infectious diseases of dogs and cats" will be published by the Lan publishing house in mid-2009.

We hope that the book “Infectious Diseases of Animals”, already published by our publishing house in 2008 by the authors of the St. Petersburg Veterinary Academy, headed by Professor V. A. Kuzmin, will arouse no less interest among readers. This book provides data on epizootological features, pathogenesis, clinical signs, pathoanatomical changes, diagnosis, immunity, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases in animals and birds.

A. E. Mayorova, veterinarian, head of the editorial board of veterinary and agricultural literature of the Lan publishing house, ed. Doctor of Veterinary Sciences, Professor V. A. Kuzmin

Brucellosis is a chronic infectious disease of all mammals, including humans. Dogs also suffer from brucellosis, in which this disease occurs in the form of a periodic increase in temperature and pathology of the reproductive organs. Since this disease is not well understood, doctors often make a different diagnosis.

Pathogen diseases in dogs are predominantly bacteria of the genus Brucella of the canis species. Brucella are microorganisms that are not very resistant to adverse environmental factors. Heating up to 60 degrees kills them in 30-40 minutes, up to 80 degrees - in 5 minutes, boiling - instantly. Direct sunlight is detrimental to Brucella. However, in organic materials at low temperatures, they can be stored for up to 3-4 months.

Susceptibility dogs to brucellosis is observed in all dogs, regardless of breed, sex, age. Brucella enters the dog's body through the respiratory, digestive, genital tract and even through the skin. But the main route of infection is still the penetration of Brucella through the gastrointestinal tract while eating infected foods (meat, milk). After entering the body, brucella spread freely to all parenchymal organs (liver, spleen, bone marrow) and lymph nodes. But most often Brucella affects the reproductive system of dogs (testes, uterine tissues, especially in pregnancy). Multiple inflammatory phenomena develop, which are chronic with periodic exacerbations.

Clinical signs in dogs are usually not expressed. In some cases, infertility occurs in males as a result of the development of epididymitis and orchitis. In females, the main pathological signs are observed during pregnancy. In this case, dogs can abort on the 30th-50th day of pregnancy, or the puppies may appear dead. After that, in bitches, inflammatory processes in the uterus can continue for a long time. Fetal water and discharge from the uterus at this time are a source of infection for dog owners. In the literature there are descriptions of arthritis in dogs with brucellosis.

Diagnostics carried out in the laboratory.

Treatment not developed, i.e. brucellosis is an almost incurable disease. To alleviate the course of the disease, tetracycline antibiotics are used, coupled with immunostimulants of the macrophage link and T-lymphocytes. With severe allergic manifestations, the use of corticosteroid drugs is indicated. Sometimes a good therapeutic effect is obtained by taking a decoction of peppermint.

Prevention Effective preventive measures against brucellosis in dogs have not been developed. Dog owners should be very careful when dealing with their sick pets and try to make sure to conduct a laboratory diagnosis to exclude buccellosis.

Brucellosis is an infectious disease that is common among animals and affects the organs of the reproductive system. Infected animals give birth to dead offspring, miscarriages, epididymitis (inflammation of the testicles leading to infertility), orchitis (inflammation of the testicle), discospondylitis (inflammation of the intervertebral disc) often occur. Read more about the symptoms and treatment of brucellosis in our article.

Brucellosis in dogs: symptoms and treatment

Brucella (lat. Brucella) is a genus of bacteria from the Brucellaceae family of the alpha-proteobacteria class. These bacteria are highly resistant to external conditions, so they can stay in liquids, in embryonic tissues and substrates of organic origin for months.

What do you need to know? Infected dogs are carriers and spread Brucella bacteria in the external environment for about 12 months.

Brucellosis is a disease caused by Brucella

Brucella infects the lymph nodes in the dog's body, multiplying and entering the external environment with liquid (urine, mother's milk, amniotic fluid, etc.). Bacteria immediately lead to the destruction of the bone marrow, liver, spleen, organs of the reproductive system.

As soon as the bacterium enters the body of the animal, it begins to develop within one month. The bacterium is distinguished by good survival outside the host organism and dies only with high heat treatment, disinfection with carbolic acid (phenol), formaldehyde solution (formalin) and other disinfectants. Brucella is contained in infected feces for about six months and is a danger to others.

Video - Dog brucellosis

Symptoms

Once in the body, brucella attack the macrophage system, spreading throughout the body, leading to extensive intoxication. In males, the bacteria infect the reproductive organs, leading to orchitis and testicular atrophy. In females, when affected, endometritis, spontaneous abortion, and stillbirth appear.

When infected, the main symptoms are:

• apathy;
• weakness;
• temperature rise;
• enlarged lymph nodes;
• loss of appetite, disruption of the digestive tract;
• purulent vaginal discharge in females;
• inflammation of the uterus, vaginitis, violation of the microflora of the vagina;
• arthritis.

Methods of infection

A pet can become infected with brucellosis through contact with wild animals, stray dogs. But most often the infection occurs:

• orally (through food intake, contaminated water or afterbirth eaten after childbirth);
• sexually (during mating);
• during the feeding of offspring;
• through the mucous membranes of the organs of vision;
• carriers of infection (flies easily carry bacteria, including brucella, which infect food);
• through the blood, with injections, surgical intervention;
• in utero from mother to baby (brucella penetrate the placenta, during childbirth, or through breast milk).

Diagnostics

The symptoms of brucellosis are very similar to other infections in dogs, making it difficult to diagnose. The dog's diagnostic examination includes:

• study of vaginal secretion;
• study of semen;
• examination of the aborted fetus;
• detection of existing antibodies to Brucella (agglutination);
• serological analysis;
• immunofluorescent analysis;
• immunochromatographic analysis (ICA);
• immunoelectrophoretic analysis (IEF).

Diagnosis can be assigned again, after a certain period of time, if the results do not carry certain information. Prior to this, the dog is considered a carrier with a positive reaction to the infection.

The laboratory conducts a series of tests to detect bacteria

Diagnosis is also carried out in parallel to exclude infection with salmonella, leptospirosis, Carre's disease (distemper), toxoplasmosis, and dythyroidism.

Treatment

Brucellosis is a very dangerous disease and difficult to treat. Allergic reactions and autoimmune disorders often occur in animals while taking medications. The main drugs in the fight against this infection are antibiotics:

In addition to antibiotics, a veterinarian may prescribe:

Even after taking a full course of antibiotics, there is no guarantee that the infection has been eradicated. Brucella can remain in minimal amounts in the dog's body and re-spread when the body's defenses are lowered. Also, if relapses are frequent, the owners should castrate (sterilize) the pets.

What do you need to know? At an early stage of infection with Brucella, treatment is carried out with a course of antibiotics. But even the appointment of 2-3 types of drugs will not rid the pet's body of a dangerous and tenacious bacteria, so the animal will be considered a carrier of the infection.

predisposition to disease

These bacteria are common in any age group of dogs. Age, gender and breed of the animal do not matter here. Most often, pregnant females and dogs that have contact with wild and farm animals are infected.

Hunting wild animals in a brucella-infested area can lead to dog infection

Prevention

In veterinary practice, there is experience in the use of vaccines for prophylactic purposes. Farm animals are vaccinated, but an effective drug has not yet been invented for dogs.

Mandatory preventive testing for brucellosis is carried out:

• in kennels with two or more dogs;
• if there are questionable test results;
• with existing diseases of the reproductive system;
• with arbitrary abortion in females;
• when mating pets.

Disinfection

If you are the owner of a four-legged friend, then for the purpose of prevention, you should regularly treat the room with carbolic acid (phenol), formaldehyde solution (formalin) and other disinfectants. It is worth paying attention to the nutrition of pets and removing raw meat products and milk from the diet if they were purchased from infected farm animals.

The risk and danger of infection for humans

Since there is no guarantee of complete recovery with antibiotic treatment, and the dog becomes a carrier of this infection, owners should be aware that they are putting themselves and loved ones in danger. Brucellosis easily enters the body through healthy, intact human skin, developing and destroying the central nervous system, urinary organs, heart, blood vessels, and the musculoskeletal system.

Pathology is so dangerous that, destroying the internal work of the body, it will inevitably lead to disability. Brucella actively develops meningitis, sciatica, arthritis and encephalitis and leads to infertility in young people. At risk are veterinarians, breeders, people who interact with blood, secretions and infected dogs, as well as people with a weakened immune system. You can read about standard scenarios for the development of brucellosis below.

What do you need to know? Brucellosis is incurable, so you should take care of your safety and the safety of your loved ones. If your pet has been infected with brucellosis, then it is worth choosing: a healthy life for your children or a dog.

Consequences in dogs

After the illness, the dog should be constantly examined and tested. The room in which the animal was kept should be disinfected. As a rule, dogs in the future are not able to bear offspring and become infertile. Although brucellosis is an infrequent infectious disease among pets, it carries a serious danger. Therefore, animals should be checked every six months for the presence of infection. Recovered dogs are excluded from breeding, and new dogs are placed in a quarantine zone for three months.

A pregnant animal infected with brucellosis will not be able to bear offspring and subsequently remain infertile

Conclusion

Unfortunately, in the modern world there is still no medicine that could guarantee the protection of a person and his pet from a dangerous pathogen - brucella. Only on your own can you partially protect yourself and your loved ones by carrying out preventive work and constant examination of pets, disinfecting premises, as well as observing personal hygiene measures when working with laboratory tests and potential carriers of infection.