Brucellosis: a cattle disease that can occur in mink

摘要

Brucellosis (Bang's disease) is a contagious bacterial disease that occurs chiefly in cattle, swine, goats and sheep. The bacteria enter the host either by mouth or by invasion of the mucous membranes. Once established, they cause abortion in the female and reduced fertility in both sexes. Brucellosis in mink has been recorded only in European literature. The prevalence of brucellosis in mink in the United States is not known. Serologic screening procedures are not conducted routinely; abortion or poor production is usually attributed to environmental influences, inadequate nutrition, viruses and bacteria other than Brucella. Mink are fed a variety of foods, including chicken, horse, sheep, pig, cattle and rabbit byproducts; mink often serve as anindicator host for contaminated feed.