Seroprevalence of Brucella canis in dogs of a pet shelter in Bogota, Colombia

Introduction: The risk of infection in humans and dogs with Brucella canis is increased by the permanent exposition to asymptomatic carrier dogs. In Colombia, there is evidence of infection with B. canis in humans living with dogs. In the particular case of Bogota, in a complementary way, an additional concern is the lack of updated information related to the prevalence of the infection in dogs. Objective: To determine the seroprevalence for B. canis in dogs intended for adoption programs in Bogota. Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study in a canine refuge in Bogota was conducted. Anti-B. canis IgG antibodies were determined in sera from 51 dogs (28 females and 23 males) by a lateral-flow immunochromatographic assay. Amplification of a fragment of a constitutive gene of the genus BruceIla by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was conducted for the seropositive animals. Results: The seroprevalence for B. canis was 1.96% (1/51). The seropositive dog was a female. However, Brucella DNA was not demonstrated by PCR. Conclusions: The seroprevalence determined in this study, represented by a unique dog showing anti-B. canis IgG, can be considered a potential risk for the dog and human population, since this animal could be a persistent infected dog capable of spreading the bacteria.