Brucella canis outbreak management towards rehoming strategies: The Italian experience

Canine brucellosis, caused by Brucella canis, is a contagious disease leading to reproductive disorders in both male and female dogs. In April 2020, Italy reported its first outbreak of B. canis in a central breeding kennel housing over 680 toy breed dogs. Following confirmation, animal movement was restricted, and a no-kill strategy was implemented to manage the outbreak. A structured protocol, integrating castration and neutering and serological testing, was developed to identify and rehome B. canis-negative dogs. This study describes the procedure used to select non-infected dogs and the follow-up monitoring protocol applied post-adoption. Over 300 dogs were successfully rehomed, with laboratory investigations confirming no occurrence of late infection in the adopted animals. These results support the inclusion of rehoming strategies as a viable option in B. canis outbreak management.