Vet groups issue Brucella canis advice for practices
The organisations say that the serological test results should be interpreted with other evidence.
Major veterinary organisations have launched a joint policy for practices, advising them on how to manage Brucella canis cases.
The policy comes as they call on the UK government to tighten pet import restrictions to control the spread of the disease.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA), the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA), Society for Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) and British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) have collaborated to release 13 recommendations for the diagnosis, testing and management of Brucella canis.
The joint policy position recommends that veterinary surgeons use their clinical judgement, as well as information from BSAVA and APHA, to make contextualised decisions when testing for Brucella canis. These decisions should also consider a risk assessment, as well as conversations with the animal owner and other stakeholders.
This includes making the owners aware of the costs and potential outcome before the tests are conducted, ensuring informed consent is received.
Veterinary practices can use SAT and iELISA serological tests to assess if a dog is infected with Brucella canis. The tests should use blood samples that have been taken three months after a potential infection.
However the groups say that the results should be interpreted with other evidence, including clinical signs, likelihood of exposure and movement history.
They advise veterinary practices to consider all clinical information alongside laboratory results, and to assess each case of Brucella canis individually when deciding on treatment or euthanasia options. The impact of the disease on the dog and those around it should take priority over its lifespan.
The group have emphasised the importance of raising awareness of clinical signs and risk factors, among colleagues and the public, to better manage the disease.
Data from the UK government showed that cases have risen from just three before 2020, to 240 cases in the past three years. In 2022 the first UK case of dog-to-human transmission was reported, revealing a relatively low risk to those handling infected dogs.
The veterinary organisations have appealed to the UK government to introduce appropriate pre-import testing for B. canis. They are also calling on the government to tighten the movement of dogs from countries with high rates of the disease.
BVA president Anna Judson: “The rise in detected cases of Brucella canis in recent years must be taken seriously, while keeping in mind that that the risk to humans, even for veterinary teams, is deemed to be low at present.
“Testing and decision-making for suspected or confirmed B. canis cases can be complicated and challenging, which is why our advice to veterinary professionals is to make use of the risk assessment information provided by APHA, BSAVA and BVA when making any decision.”
The full advice can be found here.
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The BSAVA has opened submissions for the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026.
