Brucella canis in Swedish dogs - method evaluation and seroprevalence with extended analysis

Brucella canis is a bacterial infectious disease with dogs as the primary host, but it can also be transmitted to humans. It is a notifiable disease, however, there is no government-funded surveillance program in place.

Through contacts with veterinarians and animal owners, we are aware of considerable concern and frustration regarding B. canis, as the infection cannot be effectively treated in dogs, there is uncertainty surrounding transmission routes, and it is very difficult both to confirm and to rule out infection. False-positive serological results occur, and we know that dogs have been euthanized on very uncertain grounds due to owners’ fear of B. canis.

A study on the prevalence of antibodies to B. canis among Swedish dogs has been conducted. This is the first Swedish study of its kind and was funded by another granting body. We are now applying for funding to conduct further analyses on a subset of the samples, which we intend to send to a world-leading laboratory in brucellosis diagnostics. This would enable us to better compare diagnostic methods and provide significantly more robust results, with the aim of offering reliable guidance to veterinarians and animal owners.