Clinical management ofBrucella suisinfection in dogs and implications for public health

Abstract

Background Brucellosis caused by Brucella suis is a notifiable disease that has recently emerged in dogs in New South Wales (NSW). Given the potential for zoonotic transmission, euthanasia of affected dogs is recommended, but this action is not mandatory. We report the clinical management of three dogs that underwent treatment at their owners’ request. Case reports A 14‐month‐old spayed female crossbreed originally obtained from an urban animal shelter underwent extensive investigations in 2011–12 for lameness and back pain, culminating in decompressive laminectomy. Diagnosis of multifocal discospondylitis and spinal empyema was made, with B. suis cultured from surgical biopsy specimens. The dog responded to long‐term treatment using rifampicin and doxycycline. A second case of B. suis infection was diagnosed in January 2016 in a 3‐year‐old crossbreed pig‐hunting dog with unilateral testicular enlargement. Following serological diagnosis the dog was given preliminary therapy using rifampicin and doxycycline, the affected testis was resected and the patient given a further month of combination therapy. In March 2016 a 7‐year‐old crossbreed pig‐hunting dog with brucellosis was handled similarly, although both testes were removed. Conclusion Brucellosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of back pain, discospondylitis, lameness, abortion, prostatic abscessation and testicular/epididymal enlargement in dogs, especially if there is exposure to feral pigs or consumption of uncooked feral pig meat. Euthanasia is the only guarantee of reducing the public health risk to zero. However, where treatment is desired by the owner, combination therapy using rifampicin and doxycycline appears to be effective, when combined with surgical resection of infected tissues. Further monitoring of dogs during and after treatment is required to document cure.

Vector-borne and zoonotic diseases of dogs in North-west New South Wales and the Northern Territory, Australia

“…This dog and all the other dogs from the Moree cohort tested negative on complement fixation testing and are thus considered negative. At the same time as these dogs were tested, a known clinical case of Brucella suis infection in a dog with multifocal discospondylitis [ 48 ], two dogs with orchitis [ 47 ], and two dogs from Yarrabah Aboriginal community near Cairns (Far North Queensland) tested positive using the Rose Bengal test, although the results for the two Yarrabah dogs were flocculating rather than agglutinating.…”

Serological and Molecular Investigation of Brucella Species in Dogs in Pakistan

“…Eradication programs strictly follow test and slaughter/culling policy. Dogs are susceptible to B. melitensis and B. suis and could remain asymptomatic carriers for B. abortus [6][7][8]. Canine brucellosis caused by B. canis is manifested by late abortion and retention of fetal membranes in female dogs and orchitis, epididymitis and testicular atrophy in male dogs.…”

In this issue – June 2017

“…In a wider context, this study illustrates the critical importance of knowing the specific numbers of dogs throughout Australia. Coupled with previous studies showing that pig‐hunting dogs are bringing diseases such as Brucella suis from wild pigs into metropolitan areas, and the reports of high numbers of foxes in town and city locations, a greater knowledge of interaction between wild and domestic canid populations is becoming more important. Given the fact that we do not know the actual numbers of domestic dogs in Australia, the public health implications of this study for human cases, should a rabies outbreak occur, give weight to the recommendation that domestic dog numbers have to be added to any future Australian census.…”