Three people have tested positive for an incurable dog disease called Brucella canis which is said to cause infertility and poor life quality in K-9s.
The bacterial infection spreads through bodily fluids, primarily reproductive fluids and has recently been transmitted to humans.
While the disease is treatable in people, the UK Government recommends putting down dogs that have contracted this disease.
The Telegraph newspaper recently reported that three people have contracted the condition through contact with dogs.
However, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said that no human-to-human transmission had been recorded.
Import dogs from Eastern Europe blamed for a sharp rise in Brucella canis cases in the UK
One of those who tested positive for the disease has since called for a ban on imported pets after becoming infected by a pregnant foster dog thought to be from Belarus.
Following expert advice, she euthanised three of her own dogs as well as another rescue after they contracted the disease.
This comes amid a sharp rise in the number of dogs being imported from Eastern Europe during the pandemic.
Recent government data suggested that Romania was the top origin country for these dogs being imported into the UK.
The number of dogs arriving in 2020 skyrocketed by 51% to over 29,000 compared to the previous year.
Of the Brucella canis cases in the UK, more than half with a known origin came from Romania.
Head of emerging infections and zoonoses at the UKHSA, Dr Wendi Shepherd, told the Telegraph: "We have seen a small number of cases of Brucella canis in people in the UK this year."
She went on to add: "However, the risk to the general public in the UK is very low and the risk to people who have had close contact with an infected dog is low."
"From the small number of cases of the infection that have been reported in humans worldwide, the infection is usually mild, but people who have weakened immune systems, are pregnant, or are young children may be more likely to experience more serious infection."
What are the human symptoms of Brucella canis as three people contract incurable dog disease?
People who contract Brucella canis experience symptoms of fever, malaise, an enlarged spleen (Splenomegaly), and abnormally large lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy).
This disease is treated in humans through a long course of antibiotics.
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