Canine brucellosis: a diagnostician's dilemma.

Salient features of brucellosis in dogs caused by Brucella canis are briefly reviewed, with emphasis on problems and pitfalls in the serodiagnosis of the disease. Procedures available to veterinarians for the diagnosis of canine brucellosis are discussed from the point of view of test sensitivity and specificity. The serodiagnosis of the disease poses a particular dilemma because several tests in current use by diagnostic laboratories have not been evaluated critically and may provide false-positive results. Blood cultures should be required of dogs who have not received antibiotics before a positive diagnosis is rendered. Expertise is required for the preparation of diagnostic antigens and in the interpretation of tests. Accurate diagnosis is essential because the diagnosis of brucellosis in a kennel often results in the depopulation of many or all dogs.