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A canine disease that can be passed to humans is spreading among dogs in Britain for the first time. Brucella canis is a condition that causes infertility in these animals and is incurable, It was previously only seen in imported animals but is now being contracted in the UK.
The case occurred through breeding in kennels and is not yet considered endemic due to the low number. Dr Christine Middlemiss, chief veterinarian at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, told the Telegraph: Until this case all British dogs that contracted brucella canis had had contact with imported canines.
Although the risk to the public and breeders is low, Health authorities are concerned as two people contracted the disease this year. In addition, the number of human trials carried out by the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) has doubled.
Government scientists are gathering relevant information to implement a border screening protocol. and thus prevent infected animals from reaching Britain. Brucella canis disease is endemic in some parts of the world such as Eastern Europe and Romania, so authorities recommend voluntary testing before importing animals.
For their part, veterinarians recommend euthanasia of affected dogs to stop the spread, although it remains the owners’ decision. The use of antibiotics, even in multiple courses over long periods, does not guarantee eradication of the entire infection.
It is worth keeping in mind that tests often give false positives, so you should not rush to make the decision. Up to one in every 50 positive cases is considered erroneous because Some of the test components often give imprecise results. This is why people who have questions are recommended to go to the Animal and Plant Health Agency in Weybridge.
Cases in humans
Historically this disease has been spread from animals to humans through cattle, goats, sheep and pigs. To prevent it, precautions were taken when working with animals and vaccines were even created for them.
Infection most commonly occurs when eating raw or unpasteurized dairy products, sometimes spread through the air or through direct contact with infected animals, the Mayo Clinic notes on its website.
Symptoms may include fever, chills, loss of appetite, sweats, weakness, fatigue, joint pain, and headache. It can usually be treated with antibiotics for several weeks to months and the infection may return. Some people may even present signs for years or suffer from chronic brucellosis.
Complications can be the following:
1. Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart chambers: Endocarditis is one of the most serious conditions caused by brucellosis. If not treated in time it can damage or destroy the heart valves and is one of the main causes of death related to this disease.
2. Arthritis: Joint inflammation causes pain and swelling in the knees, hips, ankles, wrists and spine. Inflammation in the latter case can be difficult to treat and cause lasting damage.
3. Inflammation and infection of the spleen and liver: Brucellosis can also affect these organs and cause them to enlarge much larger than their normal size.
4. Infections of the central nervous system: They include diseases that increase mortality. Inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, known as meningitis, is extremely dangerous. The same occurs with swelling of the brain (encephalitis).
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