USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Issued August 2016

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Program Aid No. 2200

Brucellosis and 

Dog Kennels: 

What Breeders 

Need To Know

USDA, Mike Tuck

USDA, R. Anson Eaglin

Remember: it’s up to you 

to protect your dogs from 

brucellosis.

n Know the facts about the disease. 

n Watch for signs—but know that many dogs never 

show signs.

n Work with your veterinarian to test your dogs.

n Maintain good biosecurity and use safe cleaning 

techniques.

Work With Your Veterinarian

Your veterinarian can help you navigate the many challenges 

with preventing, testing for, and controlling brucellosis, including 

biosecurity measures that can protect against the disease. 

In general, if you have never tested for brucellosis at your kennel, 

it’s best to test all dogs and then repeat testing every 4 weeks 

until all of them have had two consecutive negative tests. Also, 

continue to test all new dogs before they enter your kennel.

This is the most important thing you can do to keep brucellosis out.

Testing Process

Typically, your veterinarian will first perform a screening test such 

as the “rapid slide agglutination” or “tube agglutination” test. A 

negative result on a screening test is usually very reliable. A positive result on a screening test needs to be confirmed with further 

testing, such as AGID (agar gel immunodiffusion), ELISA (enzymelinked immunosorbent assay), IFA (immunoflorescent assay), PCR 

(polymerase chain reaction), or blood culture, to determine if your 

dog is truly positive. 

If a truly positive dog is found, you need to test the entire kennel. 

Infected Kennels

If you find out one of your dogs is infected, work closely with your 

veterinarian to achieve a disease-free kennel. The best way to 

clear a kennel of brucellosis is to test all dogs in the kennel every 

4 weeks until all of them have had two consecutive negative tests.

Dogs that are positive for brucellosis should be removed from 

the kennel as soon as possible. There is no cure. Your State 

veterinarian or local and State public health officials can also give 

further guidance on handling brucellosis-positive dogs. Also, if you 

rehome a positive dog, spay or neuter the animal and inform the 

new owners of the risk. Throughout the process, keep practicing 

good biosecurity techniques.

Your vet is your best ally 

when dealing with brucellosis 

and how to test for it!

People can get brucellosis 

from dogs. If one of your 

dogs is infected, test the 

entire kennel. Remove 

infected dogs from your 

kennel as soon as possible: 

there is no cure for the 

disease in dogs.
How It Spreads 

Canine brucellosis can spread by direct contact with tissues or 

fluids from infected dogs. These include, among others: saliva, 

blood, urine, feces, vaginal discharge, semen, milk, or an aborted 

fetus. The disease can also spread in aerosolized form, such as 

when high-pressure sprayers are used to clean kennels or when 

contaminated dust and dirt is inhaled. 

fatigue, and swollen testicles. If you see any of these symptoms in 

yourself or others, contact a medical doctor. 

For more information on brucellosis and human health concerns, go 

to http://www.cdc.gov/brucellosis/veterinarians/dogs.html.

What You Can Do: 

Prevention and Control

Unfortunately, there are no vaccines available for brucellosis. The 

best way to keep the disease out of your kennel is to make sure 

you test all new dogs before they enter your property. If a new dog 

cannot be tested before coming onto your property, quarantine the 

dog in another building furthest away from your kennel until proper 

testing is done. Never use untested dogs for breeding, and always 

practice good biosecurity at your facility.

Brucellosis and Your Dogs

USDA, Mike Tuck

Biosecurity Tips

n Take care of brucellosis-negative dogs first, before 

attending to quarantined or brucellosis-suspect dogs. 

Wash your hands, and change clothing and footwear 

before attending to brucellosis-negative dogs.

n Use gloves, wear a face mask, and change boots when 

entering an area with infected dogs.

n Take special precautions when handling and removing 

fetuses, placenta, and fetal fluids, especially after an 

abortion or stillbirth.

n Clean and disinfect the kennel regularly. Avoid direct 

contact with urine or feces—consider using a degreaser 

or detergent to break down the organic film before using 

your disinfectant.

n Keep other dogs, people who own dogs, and wildlife 

(including pests) from entering your kennel.

Know the Facts

n Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria (Brucella)

that live mainly inside the cells of reproductive organs. 

n There are various types of Brucella—found throughout the 

United States—that can infect dogs, pigs, cattle, deer, elk, 

sheep, goats, and other mammals. 

n People can become infected by all of these types, including 

the one associated with dogs (called Brucella canis). 

n Puppies born from infected mothers are often infected. This 

is a serious problem, since these animals may go into homes 

with children and others vulnerable to disease. 

Test all of your dogs for 

brucellosis. Many infected 

dogs show no signs—

so testing may be 

the only way 

you’ll know.

Puppies born from infected mothers 

are often infected. This poses a 

health threat for the families they go 

to, especially those with children.

As a dog breeder, you are responsible for the 

welfare of your dogs. This includes protecting their 

health and making sure they are free of contagious 

diseases like brucellosis. 

Canine brucellosis can devastate your dogs’ 

health and your kennel business. It causes major 

reproductive problems in dogs, including infertility, 

stillbirths, and early abortions. The disease can also 

lead to a host of other damaging health issues. If 

your dogs are infected with brucellosis, the earlier 

you find out and the quicker you act, the sooner 

you’ll have a brucellosis-free kennel again.

Your efforts not only keep your animals safe, but 

also protect the families they will go to—and your 

reputation as a breeder.

n Because the bacteria live inside cells, there is 

no cure for brucellosis in dogs. Even after months of 

antibiotic treatment, dogs can still remain infected and 

spread the disease to other dogs and people. 

n Prevention is key—practice good biosecurity and test 

all dogs in your kennel for brucellosis. 

n Infected dogs should be removed from your kennel.

n Many dogs never show signs of the disease. 

Testing is often the only way to detect it.

What To Watch For

Dogs with brucellosis may show any of the following signs:

n Abortions (most at 45–55 days of pregnancy)

n Puppies born dead or very weak

n Male infertility

n Swollen testicles and/or epididymitis

n Enlarged lymph nodes

n Lameness and lethargy

Be aware that these signs can mimic other diseases, and many 

infected dogs show no signs. As a result, it can be difficult to tell if 

a dog has brucellosis based on outward appearance alone. Testing done 

by a veterinarian is the best way to know if your animals are infected. 

Human Health Risks

People can get brucellosis from dogs, but because the disease is 

hard to diagnose in humans, the true number of these cases is 

unknown. Those who work in close contact with dogs are most at 

risk for infection. Children, pregnant women, and those with compromised immune systems are also vulnerable. Symptoms may include 

flu-like signs (fever, headache, night sweats, chills, and generalized 

aches), recurring fevers, enlarged lymph nodes, arthritis, chronic