Italian police on Tuesday shut down
a dog breeding farm near Ancona in Marche which is currently the
only known hotbed in Europe of the nasty brucellosis fever,
which can be caught by humans.
Around 850 small dogs were sequestered at Trecastelli near the
Marche port city.
Five people were placed under investigation.
As well as being packed into tight, poorly aired pens, around
half the dogs were found to be infected with Brucella canis, a
very catchable dog bug transmissible to man.
Although it held almost 900 animals, the facility was only
authorised for a maximum of 61.
Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis caused by ingestion
of unpasteurized milk or undercooked meat from infected animals,
or close contact with their secretions.
It is also known as undulant fever, Malta fever, and
Mediterranean fever.
Symptoms include profuse sweating and joint and muscle pain.
Brucellosis has been recognized in animals and humans since the
early 20th century.
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