Brucellosis

52 Brucellosis



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1. What causes brucellosis in the dog?

Brucellosis is caused by Brucella canis, a small, intracellular, Gram-negative coccobacillus. B. canis primarily causes infections in the dog and wild canids. Human infection caused by B. canis occurs.


2. How is B. canis transmitted?

Transmission may occur by the following routes: ingestion or inhalation of infected material, most often in vaginal discharge after an abortion. However, it may occur during coitus. It is believed that the oronasal transmission by aerosols is the most common pathway. Other portals of entry are conjunctival and genital mucous membranes, abrasions in the skin, and maternal placenta.


3. Will an infected animal shed the bacteria?

Infected animals may secrete the organism in their urine. The bacteria can also be found in secretions from salivary gland, secretions from nasal passages, and vaginal secretions of nonestrous animals and the milk. These are all of minor significance. Organisms in greatest numbers are found in the vaginal discharge of dogs that have aborted a litter.


4. What role does the uterus play in spreading the organism in nonpregnant bitches?

As a general rule, it is believed that the nonpregnant or diestrous uterus is not a preferred site for multiplication of the organism.


5. How does it affect the pregnant bitch?

B. canis colonizes epithelial cells of the placenta, which can lead to embryonic or fetal death.


6. Will all pregnant, infected bitches abort?

No, the bitch may maintain pregnancy and whelp both live and dead pups in the same litter. In most cases, live pups will die shortly after parturition.


7. What other tissues may become infected in the bitch?

The organism has been identified from kidneys, eyes, meninges, intervertebral discs, and saliva.


8. What route does the organism follow when it infects the dog?

The organism is phagocytized at portal of entry and carried to lymphatic tissue where they multiply. One to four weeks after infection, a bacteremia develops, which may last from 6 to 64 months. The organism then spreads by the hematogenous route to other organs of the dog.


9. What are the clinical signs?

Initially, a generalized lymphadenitis, splenitis, abortion, and a vaginal discharge after abortion are seen. Other signs noticed are reproductive failure, fever, fatigue, poor condition, loss of alertness, and failure to perform a task for which the dog is trained.


In the male dog, the organs mostly affected are the testes and epididymides. This causes signs of orchitis and epididymitis, scrotal dermatitis, oligospermia, and infertility. In chronic infections, one may see testicular atrophy associated with teratospermia and eventually spermatogenic arrest.

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Jul 31, 2016 | Posted by in INTERNAL MEDICINE | Comments Off on Brucellosis

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