Brucella canis - everything you need to know from symptoms to how it is spread
20.09.2023 - 12:07
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
Three people in the UK have contracted a rare disease that is usually confined to dogs, the UK Health Security Agency has confirmed.
Brucella Canis is a bacterial infection that can cause pain, lameness and infertility in dogs, with the illness now concerningly spreading to humans. The disease is incurable, with 91 dogs known to have caught it this year across the country already.
And now it has passed from the canine population to humans for the first time, with Wedny Hayes, from Stoke-on-Trent, believed to have been the first person to be diagnosed with the infection in the UK last year. The 61-year-old caught the illness from a Belarusian rescue dog that she was fostering, experiencing serious symptoms before she was diagnosed.
Brucella is identified mostly in imported dogs, with these pooches posing a higher risk to UK-based canines. This is because there are currently no testing mandates for such diseases.
According to a report published on Monday, September 18 by the Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance (HAIRS), the disease continues to be considered a "low risk in the UK", despite the rise from just nine cases in 2020 to 91 already spotted in the UK since the start of 2023.
Brucella canis is a bacteria infection caused by a bacterial organism. The illness primarily impacted the reproductive system of both male and female dogs.
The bacteria can lead to infertility and miscarriages in female dogs, with male dogs suffering from scrotal inflammation and infertility, according to Pet Health Network.
The disease is passed from dog to dog through contact, including sex.
The illness can affect dogs of all breeds and of all ages. However, it is more common in mature dogs. Brucella is known as soontonic disease,