Urgent warning to owners of dogs from Romania as dangerous B canis bug sweeps the UK – as health chiefs share six symptoms to look out for

Owners of imported dogs should wash their hands every time they touch their pet, health chiefs urged today.

The advice comes after three Britons were struck by an insect that is usually limited to canines from countries including Romania, Serbia and Bosnia.

There are no signs of Brucella canis (B. canis) spreading among people and the risk of people becoming infected is ‘very low’, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.

However, Britons who own imported dogs are at greater risk of contracting the infection through contact with their pet’s reproductive fluid, blood or urine.

They should wash their hands’after every interaction with their dog and “may consider” wearing gloves, goggles and a face mask when touching their pet, the report said.

The UKHSA also published a list of the telltale signs of the infection in people, including fever, headache and sweating.

A loss of appetite, weight loss and fatigue, as well back and joint pain can also be signs, according to the UKHSA.

However, it noted that those who are infected do not always develop symptoms immediately – and they can take weeks or years to appear.

The advice also urged all Britons to minimize contact with dogs’ reproductive fluids, blood and urine – whether imported or not – and to wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds if in come into contact with these products.

It noted that people with suppressed immune systems, young children and pregnant women are at greater risk of developing symptoms and serious illness.

Although B. canis is “rarely fatal” in humans and most people recover completely with antibiotics, if left untreated it can lead to an inflammation of the lining of the heart, called endocarditis.

It can also cause meningitis: swelling in the protective membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

The UKHSA urged those who feel unwell and have had contact with an infected dog – especially its birth products, such as reproductive secretions – to contact their GP or NHS 111.

A blood test, which is sent to a laboratory for specialist testing, can determine whether someone is infected. Those who have the bug are usually treated with antibiotics.

B. canis is an incurable disease in dogs and only infects humans in rare cases.

Some 91 dogs tested positive for the infection in the first half of the year, while only three cases had been seen in Britain before 2020, the UKHSA said.

All dogs that have tested positive in Britain have been imported from Eastern Europe – where the infection is endemic – and have had contact with the birth products of an imported dog, or its puppies, the UKHSA said.

Officials confirmed last week that the infection was spreading between dogs in Britain breeding in kennels.

It comes after a surge in dog imports to Britain, which experts say is due to the lockdown. Dogs from Romania alone increased by two-thirds in the first year of the pandemic.

The RSPCA warns that imported dogs are often bred in poor conditions on puppy farms before being taken from their mothers when they are just a few weeks old and shipped to Britain – with Brits often assuming they are a loved one buy a family dog. .

In dogs, B. canis can cause infertility and miscarriages, as well as fatigue, swelling of the lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin, as well as back or joint problems.

Lateral flow tests and blood samples can be used to confirm an infection in dogs.

Although B. canis rarely kills canines, there is no treatment for the infection.

Instead, vets advise on how to manage the infection, including neutering, limiting contact with other dogs and putting them to sleep.

Three human cases have been discovered in Britain, with the first noted in August 2022.

Wendy Hayes, from Stroke-on-Trent, caught B. canis from a pregnant rescue dog named Moosha, from Belarus, in her care.

Moosha was taken to a government quarantine facility due to problems with her paperwork and shortly afterwards the 61-year-old reported experiencing a fever, severe headache and a sore back.

Tests confirmed that both Ms Hayes and Moosha were infected with B. canis.

While Mrs Hayes was treated with antibiotics, all five of her dogs were put down to prevent the infection from spreading.

Two more human cases were discovered this year.

The first was identified in hospital, while the second worked at a vet and was spotted as part of routine contact tracing after an infection was discovered in a dog.

No cases of human-to-human transmission have been observed in Britain – a phenomenon the UKHSA says is ‘very rare’.

But it warned that people who own imported dogs, breeders of imported dogs and veterinarians are at greater risk of becoming infected with B. canis than the rest of the population.