title: Naturally occurring tuberculosis in white-tailed deer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the distribution of lesions and extent of tissues infected with Mycobacterium bovis in a captive population of white-tailed deer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  116 captive white-tailed deer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Deer were euthanatized, and postmortem examinations were performed. Tissues with gross lesions suggestive of tuberculosis were collected for microscopic analysis and bacteriologic culture. Tissues from the head, thorax, and abdomen of deer with no gross lesions were pooled for bacteriologic culture. Tonsillar, nasal, oral, and rectal swab specimens, fecal samples, and samples of hay and pelleted feed, soil around feeding sites, and water from 2 natural ponds were collected for bacteriologic culture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mycobacterium bovis was isolated from 14 of 116 (12%) deer; however, only 9 of 14 had lesions consistent with tuberculosis. Most commonly affected tissues included the medial retropharyngeal lymph node and lung. Five of 14 tuberculous deer had no gross lesions; however, M bovis was isolated from pooled tissue specimens from the heads of each of these deer. Bacteriologic culture of tonsillar swab specimens from 2 of the infected deer yielded M bovis. Mean (+/- SEM) age of tuberculous deer was 2.5 +/- 0.3 years (range, 0.5 to 6 years). Mycobacterium bovis was not isolated from feed, soil, water, or fecal samples.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Examination of hunter-killed white-tailed deer for tuberculosis commonly includes only the lymph nodes of the head. Results of such examinations may underestimate disease prevalence by as much as 57%. Such discrepancy should be considered when estimating disease prevalence.
authors.affiliation: Zoonotic Diseases Research Unit, USDA, Ames, IA 50010, USA.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Whipple
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Payeur
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Alt
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Esch
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Bruning-Fann
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Kaneene
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001344:Autopsy / Q000662:veterinary; D002335:Carnivora; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003670:Deer; D005260:Female; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000382:microbiology; D015995:Prevalence; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*