Unfortunately, there are no vaccines available for brucellosis. The best way to keep the disease out of your kennel is to make sure you test all new dogs before they enter your property.
There are two popular vaccines against animal brucellosis. Live attenuated Brucella abortus strain 19 (S19 vaccine) is the first effective and most extensively used vaccine for the prevention of brucellosis in cattle.
The best way to prevent brucellosis is to spay or neuter your dog according to your veterinarian's advice. Since breeding your dog should be a very well-considered decision, discuss with your veterinarian the potential consequences of breeding. Reducing the risk of exposing your favorite canine also reduces your risk.
This is a serious zoonotic disease causing illness in people. Brucella abortus no longer occurs in Australia as a result of a national eradication program between 1970 and 1989. Brucella ovis infection causes disease and infertility in sheep, but does not affect people.
Brucellosis may also be transmitted through semen or urine and can be shed by intact or neutered males for several years in cases of chronic infection.
Infected male dogs may have abnormally sized testicles (swollen or shrunken). Other signs observed with canine brucellosis include infertility, anorexia, weight loss, pain, lameness, incoordination, swollen lymph nodes, and muscle weakness.
Canine brucellosis is a reportable disease in some states but not in all, so true incidence is difficult to determine. It is widely distributed and reports range from 1% to 9% of dogs infected in the United States, with the highest incidence in the South.
Australia is free of Brucella abortus, Brucella melitensis and Brucella canis. Bovine brucellosis is caused by Brucella abortus and was eradicated from Australia in 1989 as a result of a national eradication program.
What are the signs of brucellosis? There is no effective way to detect infected animals by their appearance. The most obvious signs in pregnant animals are abortion or birth of weak calves. Milk production may be reduced from changes in the normal lactation period caused by abortions and delayed conceptions.
Dogs and people can get brucellosis. Dogs in breeding programs, stray dogs that have not been spayed or neutered, and unowned or free roaming dogs are at higher risk of having brucellosis. In people, dog breeders and veterinarians are most at risk of infection because of their work with birthing puppies (whelping).
Many reports have indicated that Brucella species are readily killed by most of the commonly available disinfectants including hypochlorite solutions, 70% ethanol, isopropanol, iodophores, phenolic disinfectants, formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde and xylene [5,10].
Disinfectants with bleach, at least 70 percent ethanol, iodine/alcohol solutions, glutaraldehyde or formaldehyde will effectively kill the bacteria.
Budget for vaccine allocation: It was estimated that the Brucella vaccine would cost US$ 0.10 per dose, and the total number of small ruminants requiring vaccination was 1,000,000 (according to the most recent annual report of Dohuk Veterinary Hospital). Thus, the total estimated budget for vaccine cost = US$ 100,000.
For acute brucellosis in adults and children older than 8 years, the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines recommend the following: Doxycycline 100 mg PO twice daily plus rifampin 600-900 mg/day PO – Both drugs are to be given for 6 weeks; this regimen is more convenient but probably increases the risk of relapse.
Treatment and care
The incubation period of the disease can be highly variable, ranging from 1 week to 2 months, but usually 2–4 weeks. Treatment options include doxycycline 100 mg twice a day for 45 days, plus streptomycin 1 g daily for 15 days.
Humane euthanasia of infected dogs is often recommended to prevent the spread of this disease.
People with brucellosis may develop fever, sweats, headaches, back pains, and physical weakness. In severe cases, the central nervous system and the lining of the heart may be affected. One form of the illness may also cause long-lasting symptoms, including recurrent fevers, joint pain, and fatigue.
Brucella canis infects dogs and humans. In dogs, it can cause reproductive failure; in humans, it can cause fever, chills, malaise, peripheral lymphadenomegaly, and splenomegaly.
Australia successfully eradicated contagious bovine pleuropneumonia in 1973, bovine brucellosis in 1989 and bovine tuberculosis in 1997.
While brucellosis is rare in the United States, it is more common in other parts of the world, especially: Southern Europe, including Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Southern France. Eastern Europe. Mexico, South and Central America.
Swine brucellosis (caused by B. suis) is endemic in the feral pig population in Queensland and has also been reported in northern parts of the Northern Territory, New South Wales and Western Australia.
However, Brucella organisms commonly associated with other animal species, such as Brucella suis (pigs) and Brucella abortus (cattle and bison), can also infect dogs depending upon their exposures to these species.
Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria. People can get the disease when they are in contact with infected animals or animal products contaminated with the bacteria. Animals that are most commonly infected include sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, and dogs, among others.
In humans, the disease, which is usually caused by Brucella melitensis, can be very serious. Brucellosis caused by Brucella abortus, B. suis, or B. melitensis is relatively rare in dogs.