Canine Brucellosis Brucella canis What is canine brucellosis Can I get canine brucellosis? Who should I contact, if I and what causes it? Yes. However, human infections suspect canine brucellosis? Canine brucellosis is an important with Brucella canis are rare. Direct In Dogs – Contact your cause of reproductive failure in contact or aerosol exposure to veterinarian immediately. dogs, particularly in kennels. Canine infected animal fluids is the primary In Humans – Contact your brucellosis is caused by the bacteria way people are infected with canine physician immediately Brucella (bru-CELL-a) canis. Dogs brucellosis. People can also become How can I protect my and humans can be affected. Canine infected by ingesting the bacteria brucellois occurs in a number of or by contamination of mucous animals from canine countries worldwide. membranes and breaks in the skin. brucellosis? Infection with Brucella canis Brucella canis can survive for What animals get canine seems to require close contact months in the environment under brucellosis? with infected dogs or contact with optimum conditions but can Dogs are the primary animal bacterial cultures. People who work be destroyed by heat and some species that can be infected with with dogs in a breeding situation disinfectants. Thoroughly clean and Brucella canis. However, other animals (e.g., breeders, kennel workers, disinfect areas exposed to infected can be infected experimentally. veterinarians) may be at higher dogs, their urine, blood, milk, or risk of exposure. discharges. Keep sick dogs away from How can my dog get canine other dogs to avoid spreading the Infection in people causes flu-like brucellosis? disease. Carefully screen dogs that signs (fever, night sweats, headaches, In dogs, brucellosis is usually are being introduced into a breeding back pain). Arthritis (joint pain) spread through contact with program to control transmission. and re-occurring fevers may occur infected birthing tissues and fluids with long term infection. Rarely, (e.g., placenta, aborted fetuses, fetal How can I protect myself cases of brucellosis can involve fluids, vaginal discharges). Canine from canine brucellosis? the nervous system, eyes, or heart. brucellosis can also be transmitted by Wear protective clothing (gloves, contaminated objects (fomites) such masks) when handling reproductive as, bedding, equipment, clothing, tissues (assisting delivery of newborn or shoes, . The bacteria can also be puppies). Always wash your hands found in the milk, blood, and semen after touching animals. of infected dogs. For More Information Entry of the bacteria can occur by ingestion or direct contact with CFSPH Technical Fact Sheets. Brucella mucous membranes (eyes, nose, canis at http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/ DiseaseInfo/ mouth), or breaks in the skin. CDC website. Brucellosis at http://www. How does canine cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/ brucellosis_g.htm brucellosis affect my dog? Canine Brucellosis Brucella canis causes reproductive is an important cause problems (e.g. abortions, stillbirth, of reproductive failure infertility) in dogs. Other signs can in dogs. include inflammation of lymph nodes, behavioral abnormalities, lethargy, Photo from Claudia Baldwin, Iowa State and weight loss. University, College of Veterinary Medicine © 2013.