Are Italian-Polish veterinarians and breeders prepared to control an outbreak of Brucella canis infection in dogs?

Abstract

Brucella canis infection is one of the most important causes of infertility in dogs and is a zoonosis for which no effective treatment or vaccines exist. It is not a mandatory notifiable disease. Following an increase of cases in Europe and worldwide, an investigation was performed to evaluate how much Italian and Polish veterinarians and breeders know about canine brucellosis and understand their perceptions of this infection. For this reason, two questionnaires were prepared, in Italian and Polish. Eighteen Italian and Polish veterinarians, specialists in canine reproduction, responded to the first survey and 44.4% of them affirmed having diagnosed canine brucellosis at least once in their clinical practice, and different perceptions emerged regarding the infection in the two countries. The second survey was completed by 145 Italian and Polish breeders; the disease was completely unknown to 22.8% of them, whereas 2.1% had diagnosed infection by B. canis in their kennels. In conclusion, knowledge of B. canis infection differs between these countries, with extremes ranging from diagnosed cases to complete underestimation of the presence of the problem. However, based on international data and reporting of a recent large outbreak in Italy, awareness of this contagious infectious disease and its management must be increased.