22 Sept 2023
An academic who removed herself from the RCVS register in protest at the veterinary sector’s treatment of dogs suspected of having B canis says a complete overhaul of its approach is now needed.
Allister Webb
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Image: © Dr_Microbe / Adobe Stock
An ex-VN who quit in protest at the profession’s treatment of dogs suspected of having Brucella canis has said a newly published risk assessment endorses her position.
The government-commissioned analysis concluded the probability of human infection is low even for people who are more likely to be exposed to the bacteria, including veterinary professionals.
The BVA claimed the findings endorse its call for pre-import testing to be introduced, even though the report does not recommend mandatory requirements.
But Louise Buckley, who removed herself from the RCVS register in May over the issue, said her actions had now been “vindicated” and the sector needed a complete overhaul of its approach to the disease.
She said: “[It’s] time to return to an evidence-based, contextualised approach to veterinary care that will provide for the full range of preventive, routine and emergency care needs of the overseas or UK dog that tests positive for Brucella canis.”
The comments follow the publication of a new analysis compiled by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which is part of the joint Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance group chaired by Defra. Ministers confirmed in January that a fresh assessment was being carried out in response to the growing level of reported cases since 2020.
The report, published on 18 September, said 22 separate incidents where the disease was suspected were reported in the first quarter of this year alone, with 43 individual dogs testing positive. That follows another 100 recorded incidents, with 143 dogs testing positive between 2020-22.
But the report concluded the probability of infection is “low” for people with greater risk of exposure to infectious material, including veterinary professionals, breeders or infected dogs’ owners, and “very low” for the wider population.
Meanwhile, the impact of the disease on the human population was assessed as being very low to low; although, individuals with weakened immune systems are potentially at greater risk of more serious illness.
The report also revealed a second laboratory-confirmed case of human infection had been identified in the UK, as of July 2023, following the hospitalisation of a pet owner and foster carer who had been exposed to infectious material last year.
The newly reported case is said to have involved a veterinary practice worker who showed no clinical symptoms, but was identified through follow-up procedures for people exposed to positive dogs. More than 400 human samples have so far been tested.
The findings are likely to raise renewed questions about how to tackle B canis – particularly among the owners of imported dogs, where significant concerns have been raised about how their pets are viewed within the veterinary professions
The report argued that, within the UK, the disease is “still principally associated with imported dogs and their canine contacts and/or offspring”, though the extent to which it may now be endemic was among a range of identified gaps in current understanding.
It also claimed that euthanasia of infected dogs was “the only way to completely remove the risk of future onward transmission”, though it acknowledged the decision to do so was a matter for owners and their vets.
However, Dr Buckley, who launched an online campaign against what she views as the veterinary sector’s “fear-based” approach to the disease in April, is concerned that a large proportion of dogs deemed as infected – potentially close to 50% – could be due to false positive tests based on the report’s own figures.
She described that proportion as “staggering and unacceptable”, and called for new protocols to be developed around the SAT test, as well as specific arrangements between industry, the veterinary sector and the rescue sector.
Dr Buckley further estimated that she is being contacted by up to 25 worried pet owners a day and argued a change of approach is now essential in the veterinary sector to stop more families being affected.
BVA president Malcolm Morley welcomed the effort to “better understand” the disease and said the report’s findings would inform a new policy position it is developing in conjunction with the BSAVA, the BVNA and SPVS. But he argued that the report strengthened the case for the introduction of mandatory pre-import testing to reduce the level of disease that is entering the UK.
He said: “Effective pre-import testing for Brucella canis should always be performed on dogs exported from countries where it is endemic. Vets in practice should use their clinical judgement to decide how best to manage disease risk.”
Leading parasitologist Ian Wright also called for compulsory testing rules when he addressed the issue during the Official Veterinarians Conference; although, he admitted such measures would not be “without complications”.
He further warned the recorded numbers of cases were likely to underestimate the full picture of the disease.
The report does not include mandatory testing among its proposed actions and recommendations for tackling the disease. Instead, it proposes “encouraging” testing both before importation and breeding, along with measures to improve awareness of the risks to veterinary professionals and others at greater risk of exposure.
UK CVO Christine Middlemiss said: “We continue to work closely with our colleagues at the UKHSA, dog welfare groups and vets to minimise the risks posed, and recommend prospective owners make sure any dog imported from regions where Brucella canis is present is tested before arrival.”
