Isolation of Brucella canis from abostion cases in a dog breeding farm

Brucella canis is a zoonotic bacterium responsible for infertility in dogs. It causes abortions in females and epididymitis in males. Semen, aborted fetuses, birth fluids, and milk play an important role in transmission. While this bacterium has been frequently reported, particularly in areas where dogs are housed together, transmission to humans has been rare. This study was conducted at a dog breeding farm operating in Afyonkarahisar, Turkiye. Sera were collected from dogs on the farm, where abortions have been observed for some time, and serological analyses were performed. Rapid slide agglutination and indirect ELISA tests, which use smooth and rough Brucella bacteria or immunodominant structures belonging to these bacteria as antigens, were used. Vaginal swab samples from two serologically positive animals that had recently aborted were cultured for bacterial isolation. Brucella canis was isolated and identified from one sample. As a result, it was concluded that the abortion and infertility problems in the dog production farm were caused by canine brucellosis due to Brucella canis.