Transcript Brucellosis

BRUCELLOSIS
Navies 2011
Brucella


The causative agent of Brucellosis
Zoonotic disease in food animals



More prevalent in developing countries
A genus of Gram-negative rods - coccobacillus
Found in 7 different species
B. canis (canine)
 B. abortus (equine & bovine)
 B. melitensis
 B. neotomae
 B. ovis
 B. suis

Etiology
•
Caused by Brucella canis
–
–
–
•
Gram negative bacteria
Causes abortions, usually
in third trimester of
pregnancy
Dogs are the definitive
host
Considered a zoonotic
bacteria
–
–
Human infections are
rare
Caution when handling
aborted animals
Brucella canis rods
History of disease
Thought to exist since
Roman times
 In 1887 Dr. Bruce
isolated the organism
(hence Brucellosis)
 In 1966 Brucella Canis
was identified as the
causative agent of
canine brucellosis

B. canis


Transmitted through ingestion/ inhalation
Bacterium can be found in:








lymphatic system
genital tract
eye
kidney
intervertebral disks
spleen
Small red coccobacillus in clumps
Associated conditions:



Infertility
Abortions
Diskospondylitis
B. canis

Signalment
 Non
breed specific
 Affects males/ females
 Sexually
mature
 5-12mos. Of age
B. canis

Clinical Signs:
 Scrotal
swelling/dermatitis
 Enlarged epididymis
 Testicular atrophy
 Abortion
 Infertility
 Vaginal
 1-6
discharge
wks postabortion
B. canis
Clinical Signs:
•
Primary sign is abortion in last
trimester of pregnancy,
followed by prolonged
vaginal discharge
•
Infected dogs may develop
generalized lymphadenitis
•
Epididymitis
•
Periorchitis
•
Prostatisis
•
Spondylitis and uveitis are
occassional complications
Enlarged Epididymis
B. canis
Transmission:
• Can easily penetrate any mucous membrane
–
Oral, conjunctival or venereal
•
•
Infection though oral route is the most common though ingestion of
infected material
In a pregnant female the organism goes though the
uterus and causes a late abortion
–
–
After the abortion, vaginal discharge and the aborted
material contain a large number of the bacteria
In males, the urine and semen is where large numbers of
bacteria are found
Diagnostic tests and expected results
Isolated from vaginal exudate, aborted puppies,
blood, milk, semen
 Simplest test is Rapid Slide Agglutination Test to
look for antibodies against disease

B. canis
Diagnosis:
• Isolation and identification of the bacteria is the only way to
diagnose the disease
–
Organism can be isolated from:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Vaginal exudate
Aborted puppies
Blood (it takes up to 3 weeks to be detected in blood stream)
Milk
Semen
Widely used tests are agglutination test by tube or slide
method
Agar gel immunodiffusion tests used in some laboratories
B. canis
Recommended Treatment:
• Usually unsuccessful and not recommended to
eliminate the organism
• Long term antibiotics used and show some promise
• Animals treated may remain infected after
treatment
• Doxycycline and an aminoglycoside
• Tertacycline and streptomycin
• Minocycline and streptomycin
B. canis
Prognosis:
 Animals can naturally heal but may take up to five
years
 Relapses can occur and symptoms may occur for
several years
B. canis

Prevention:
 Animals
with brucellosis should be neutered/spayed
 In large kennels/ shelters daily use of Roccal will kill the
bacteria
 Keep new animals quarantined before introducing them
to other canines.
Facts
Not common in US; about 100-200 cases each year
 More common in countries with no good
standardized and effective public health and
domestic animal programs, like South and Central
America, E. Europe, Asia, Africa
 No vaccine in humans
 Also known as Canine STD

Brucella suis
Swine
B. suis
•
Etiology:
•
Caused by Brucella suis
–
–
–
•
Spread by ingesting infected tissues
or fluids
Highest prevalence among feral pigs
Can remain in some herds for years
Considered zoonotic
–
Humans come in contact with bacteria
through:
•
•
•
•
•
Laboratory work
Farming
Herding
Veterinary work
Though contact with infected animals or
tissues
Brucella suis
B. suis
Signalment:
 B. suis has no specific signalment
 Pigs that are used for breeding do have a high risk
of contracting the bacteria
B. suis
Transmission:
• Pigs that are raised for breeding are a source of
infection
–
•
Can be transmitted by ingestion of feedstuffs that are
contaminated by birth and/or abortion products and
uterine discharges
–
•
Suckling pigs may become infected by means of mother, but
most reach weanling age without becoming infected
Pigs will eat aborted fetuses and membranes
Transmission can occur during copulation or artificial
insemination
B. suis
Clinical signs:
•
After exposure to bacteria, pigs develop a bacteremia that may
persist for up to 90 days
–
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Localization to various tissues may occur during or after bacteremia
Abortion
Temporary or permanent sterility
Orchitis
Lameness
Posterior paralysis
Spondylitis
Metritis
Abscess formation
B. suis
Diagnosis:
 Card test (most accurate)
 Serum agglutination tests
 Complement fixation tests
 Entire
herds of pigs must be tested rather than
individual pigs
B. suis
Recommended Treatment:
 No vaccine for Brucella suis
 No recommended treatment
 Control of transmission is based on test,
cull(segregation), and slaughter of infected pigs
B. suis
Prognosis:
 Can be eradicated from infected herds by means
of:
 Depopulation
 Tests
and removal methods
 Quarantine of infected herds
B. suis
Prevention:
 Keeping domesticated swine herds from coming in
contact with wild and feral swine
 Test herds and not breeding swine that are infected
 Quarantine swine purchased in fairs or other
sources until testing can be done
B. suis
Client Education:
 Perform regular testing of herds
 Purchase swine from reputable sellers
 Keep those that are infected in isolation and do not
use for breeding
 Test semen that will be used for insemination prior
to insemination
Brucella abortus
Bovine
B. abortus- Bovines





History:
1895- Bang in Copenhagen isolated the organism
Brucella abortus and proved that it caused abortions in
cattle
 "Bang's abortion”
1917- Yellowstone Nat’l Park documented brucellosis
among the bison herd.
1956- Due to a $1 billion eradication program, only the
‘Triple U’ buffalo herd and five infected private cattle
herds in Texas and Missouri still harbor brucellosis.
B suis or B melitensis has also rarely been implicated in
some cattle herds.
B. abortus- Bovine

Signalment:
 Males
& females
 Any age or breed
B. abortus- Bovine

Transmission:
 Occurs
 Can




by ingestion of organisms
be present in:
aborted fetuses
fetal membranes
uterine discharges
contaminated feed/water
 licking
contaminated genitals of other animals
 artificial insemination when contaminated semen is
deposited in the uterus
B. abortus- Bovine

Clinical Signs:
 abortion
is the most obvious sign!!
 weak or stillborn calves
 reduced milk production
 retained placentas
 agglutinins in the seminal plasma
 testicular abscesses in infected bulls
 arthritis may result from longstanding infections
B. abortus- Bovine

Diagnostic Tests:
 Herds:
bang test/ Brucellosis ring test: Herd’s milk and
test for agglutination
 Serum agglutinin tests are the standard method of
diagnosis
A
complete agglutination at a dilution of 1:100 or more is
positive for brucellosis in non vaccinated animals.
 1:200 is positive for animals vaccinated between 4 to 12
months of age.
B. abortus- Bovine

Treatment:
 Treatment
for brucellosis of cattle is not permitted
 ALL infected cattle and contacts which have been
exposed to infection must be slaughtered.
B. abortus- Bovine

Pathological lesions:
 granulomatous
inflammatory lesions are present during
a necropsy
 Lesions may be present in:
the reproductive tract
 udder
 supramammary
 lymph nodes
 joints
 synovial membranes.

Vaccination




The vaccine is a live product and must be
administered only by an accredited veterinarian or
State or Federal animal health official.
Brucella vaccine, called Strain RB51, for use in cattle
Female calves should be vaccinated when they are
4 to 6 months old.
At the time of vaccination, a tattoo is applied in the
ear; that tattoo identifies the animal as an "official
vaccinate." The tattoo identifies the year in which
vaccination took place.
Brucella abortus
Equine
B. abortus- Equine



Reported sporactically in the US over the last 70 yrs
Declined in prevalence due to the Brucellosis Cattle
Eradication program
Higher infection rates in:
Texas
 Florida
 Alabama
 Louisiana

B. abortus- Equine

Signalment:
 All
breeds
 Males & females
 No age descrimination
B. abortus- Equine

Clinical Signs:
 Most
commonly manifests as fistulas located in the
withers of the horse
A
source of exposure to humans
 Late
term abortions
 Non-specific lameness due to joint infections
 ‘poll evil’
B. abortus- Equine

Prognosis/ Diagnosis
 Unlike
B. abortus in cattle, no specific Equine Brucellosis
eradication program has ever been implemented.
 Samples of infection sites are obtained for cultures
 B. abortus is difficult to isolate, so horse must also be
tested for evidence of anitbodies to B. abortus.
 Titers (plate agglutination) greater than or equal to
1:50 is considered + for this bacteria.
B. abortus- Equine
Prevention:
 Neuter/cull infected animals
 Quarantine & testing all new animals especially
breeding stock
Brucellois in Humans

Humans can become infected by coming in contact
with infected animals or animal products that are
contaminated with this bacteria.
 Eating/drinking
the organism
 Inhalation of the organism (least common)
 Through open skin wounds
 Slaughterhouse
& meat packing plant employees, and
hunters are at a higher risk
 Direct
person-to-person spread is rare but can occur
through breast milk, and sexual contact
Brucellosis in Humans
(Undulant Fever)

Zoonotic cases mostly occur:
 in
countries where animal disease control programs are
in-efficient or non existent
 Countries that do not have standardized & effectie
public health & domestic animal health programs.




DO NOT EAT: un-pasturized dairy products!!!!!!!!
NO vaccine available for humans
Mortality is low (less than 2%) & is usually
associated with endocarditis.
Wear gloves when handling new animals canines &
food animals) and beware of bodily fluids!
Brucellosis in Humans

Causes a wide range of symptoms:
 Fever
 Sweats
 Headaches
 Back
pains
 Physical weakness
 Severe infections of the CNS or lining of the heart may
occur

Can also cause long- lasting, chronic symptoms that
include:
 Recurrent
fevers, joint pain & fatigue
References

Veterinary Technician’s Daily Reference Guide: Canine and Feline. 2nd Edition (pg. 130, 256258).

Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. (pg. 256).

http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/brucellosis_abortus.pdf

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/110502.htm

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp

http://www.greenlewis.com/articles/canine-brucellosis.php

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/brucellosis_in_dogs.html

http://www.infectiousdiseasenews.com/article/40915.aspx
References continued…
•
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp
http://www.greenlewis.com/articles/canine-brucellosis.php
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/brucellosis_in_dogs.html
•
http://www.infectiousdiseasenews.com/article/40915.aspx
•
•




www.peteducation.com
www.Vetinfo.com
www.Medicinenet.com
www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/brucellosi
s.pdf