Canine brucellosis confirmed in six Michigan counties, and the possible culprit
Brucellosis is a venereal disease that you hear about typically with regard to breeding canines, but a Michigan State University veterinarian and researcher has stern news: Not so fast. In light of an outbreak that has affected six counties and is suspected in another ten - Missaukee, Osceola, Wexford, Grand Traverse, Ottawa, and Macolm - Cheri Johnson, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM warns people not to discount the fact that the highly transmissible disease is spread simply through breeding. flickr photo courtesy of Acme Canine Any dog owner will tell you that dogs frequently poke their noses in all sorts of places. They have a habit of eating gross stuff and licking things that they shouldn't. By and large, it's not an issue. Brucella , as the bacterial disease is referred to, is present in the bodily fluids of infected vertebrates - in higher concentrations in the semen, urogenital secretions, fetal membranes - but can also be found in urine and saliva . There's ...