Dog breeders closed, only brucellosis hotbed in EU

(ANSA) - ANCONA, JAN 19 - 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. (ANSA).