HealthDay Reporter

Brucellosis infection is most commonly spread by livestock like sheep, cattle, goats and pigs.

But a strain of the bacterium carried by dogs — Brucella canis — could be widespread in humans, warned lead researcher Martha Hensel, a veterinarian with Texas A&M University.

“We don’t really know how prevalent this disease is in the United States,” Hensel said. “The information we have to draw conclusions on the public health risk is outdated, to say the least — something like 30 to 40 years old.”

B. canis is carried by dogs that can still reproduce, Hensel noted. It’s not clear exactly how the bacteria might spread to humans, but it’s most likely passed through contact with reproductive organs or urine.”