Brucella canis: BSAVA Scientific Information Document

20 February 2023

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of companion animals imported into the UK. In some cases, little is known about the medical history of the animals and therefore, the risk of importing diseases which are not endemic in the UK is increasing.

Brucella canis is one such disease which not only affects animals but it also has zoonotic potential. There have been an increasing number of dogs diagnosed with clinical or subclinical infection along with reports of its zoonotic impact.

BSAVA has produced a Scientific Information Document (SID) to provide relevant and easily accessible information to veterinary staff in small animal practice. The document outlines key elements relating to B. canis including transmission, diagnosis, management, public health implications and legislative requirements. It takes into consideration information available from relevant Government Departments.

This document is by no means exhaustive but is intended to provide useful information and signpost to further resources. Access to the SID is available in the BSAVA Library via the following link: www.bsavalibrary.com/brucella_canis

Previous related BSAVA news articles include https://www.bsava.com/article/imported-diseases-of-dogs-cats/