Companion Animal Zoonoses Guidelines

ACAZAP RECOMMENDATIONS continued

Care of pig hunting dogs • Do not breed from dogs suspected or known to be infected with B. suis. • Wash dogs and associated protective devices after hunting, preferably prior to leaving the hunting site. This should be performed away from other people and while wearing PPE. • If dogs are wounded during a hunt, use personal protective equipment when cleaning or dressing wounds and seek veterinary advice. Untreated traumatic wounds can result in serious welfare implications and poor health outcomes including severe pain, sepsis and potential fatalities. • Do not feed dogs raw feral pig meat, bones, offal, foetuses, or reproductive tissues. Pig meat can be rendered safe for consumption by thorough cooking. Note that freezing, smoking, drying and pickling of meat is inadequate to inactivate Brucella .

Bull Arab pig hunting dog (Courtesy of Arthur Zambellakis)

IN ANIMALS

AETIOLOGY AND EPIDEMIOLOGY • There are currently twelve recognised species of Brucella identified, that can be divided into classical

are additional Brucella strains awaiting genus affiliation. 2,3 • The six classical Brucella species are highly genetically related to each other. 3 Of these species, B. suis is enzootic in Australia, whilst B. melitensis, B. canis and B. abortus are exotic, the latter having been eradicated in 1989. 4 Brucella ovis , which is present in Australia, is not considered zoonotic. Brucella neotomae is a rarely identified zoonotic disease in the literature. 5

Brucellae species (B. abortus, B. melitensis, B. canis, B. ovis, B. neotomae and B. suis) , marine mammal species (B. ceti and B. pinnipedialis) and recently identified species considered ‘atypical’ (B. inopinata, B. microti, B. paponis and B. vulpis). There

Six classical Brucella species

SPECIES

PRIMARY ANIMAL RESERVOIR

DISEASE STATUS IN AUSTRALIA

ZOONOTIC RISK

Feral pig hunters and their families, veterinarians, dog breeders, laboratory workers and abattoir staff

B. suis

Pigs

Enzootic in Australia. Present in feral pigs, dogs fed raw feral pig meat or involved in feral pig hunting can become infected

B. melitensis

Sheep, goats, camels

Exotic, not known to occur in sheep and goats in Australia

Exotic zoonotic disease. Travellers and migrants from countries where B. melitensis occurs in animals are at risk Exotic zoonotic disease. Travellers and migrants from countries where B. abortus occurs in animals are at risk

B. abortus

Cattle

Eradicated from Australia in 1989 4

B. canis

Dogs

Exotic, not known to occur in dogs in Australia

Significant zoonotic pathogen globally, not identified in Australia

B. ovis

Sheep

Enzootic in Australia, all breeds of sheep are susceptible

Not considered zoonotic 4

B. neotomae

Rodents

Exotic

Rare cases reported 5

CONTENTS

Companion Animal Zoonoses Guidelines 20

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