18 Aug 2022
The BVA and BSAVA have both reiterated the importance of vet professionals using PPE, submitting samples for testing and reporting positive results so health authorities can take follow-up action.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Image: © luckybusiness / Adobe Stock
The BVA and BSAVA have issued fresh advice to veterinary professionals following the first case of dog-to-dog and dog-to-human transmission of Brucella canis.
Many in the professions have been concerned about the potential for B canis to be imported, spread and become established in the UK, and a case of transmission, which led to a 61-year-old woman being hospitalised and her four dogs euthanised, came to light at the weekend.
Both organisations have now issued guidance, with the BVA also joining calls for compulsory testing for B canis in any imported pets.
BVA president Justine Shotton said: “Vets in the UK have increasingly been concerned about the risk of B canis and other exotic diseases resulting from the import of dogs with unknown health histories.
“We know there is an added public health risk, too, including for veterinary teams who treat and handle these animals, from contact with an infected dog’s contaminated body tissues and fluids.
“We’d advise veterinary teams handling suspected cases in imported dogs to use appropriate PPE and to submit samples to laboratories for testing. Vets should also continue to flag risks of B canis and other diseases in imported dogs to anyone considering getting a rescue from abroad.
“We’d also strongly urge owners or rescue charities to seek advice from a vet in the UK to ensure compliance with import best practice before bringing in any dog from abroad.”
Dr Shotton added: “The BVA continues to call on the Government to take urgent action to introduce mandatory pre-import testing for dogs coming into the UK, so we can stop the spread of such emerging diseases.”
The BSAVA said the case highlighted the importance of advice issued to the profession in a letter by CVO Christine Middlemiss about B canis in 2021.
Detection of canine brucellosis was later made a reportable disease, and it was among those concerning Defra and the APHA when a ban on the importation of commercial pets from Ukraine, Belarus, Poland and Romania was introduced in April.
Alison Speakman, president of the BSAVA, said: “B canis is a serious zoonotic disease, and the difficult situation experienced by this pet owner highlights the impact the disease can have on both pet owners and their pets.
“Concerns about B canis entering the UK via imported dogs from eastern Europe were highlighted by the UK CVO in an open letter to the vets in small animal practice last year and also highlight its presence in in-contact UK-bred animals.
“Dogs harbouring B canis may or may not show clinical signs, and if they do, they can be non-specific. The incubation can be variable, diagnosis is not always straightforward and can be protracted. In practical terms, and in line with the advice in the CVO’s letter, euthanasia is recommended – especially where pets are clinically unwell.
“However, test-positive animals may be clinically normal and owners reluctant to euthanise them, potentially resulting in very limited treatment options, required hygiene measures, and limited contact with other dogs and people – all of which pose practical challenges and significant ongoing risk to in-contact humans and animals for the rest of the dog’s life.”
Dr Speakman added: “In 2021, the UK CVO recommended vets in practice use appropriate personal protective equipment when handling such pets, and that positive results from diagnostic samples submitted to APHA Weybridge or other laboratories should be reported to the APHA or the relevant competent authority, to arrange follow-up by health protection colleagues. It is essential to notify the lab of the possibility of Brucella infection in any suspected sample submissions.
“The situation is obviously heartbreaking for this owner and it sends a message to all who come in contact with imported dogs – particularly from endemic areas – that if the Brucella status of the dog is unknown, they are at risk for acquiring brucellosis and potentially other imported diseases that may pose a risk to the health of pet owners, fosterers and the UK pet population with potentially devastating consequences.”
BVA guidance on B canis is available on the BVA website, while the BSAVA has information on how to report B canis cases.
