Survey of tuberculin testing in Swedish zoos.
Tuberculin test results from 214 animals in three Swedish zoos, tested between the years 1993 and 2000, were compiled from a questionnaire sent out to zoo veterinarians. Comparative testing with bovine and avian tuberculin was used on various sites of injection. A total of five skin test reactors were found: three cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus) in one zoo and two tapirs (Tapirus terrestris) in another zoo. Postmortem culture from one of the tapirs revealed growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and a stamping out policy was adopted in the herd. Tuberculosis in the primates was ruled out by further investigations. Zoo veterinarians should try to adopt a common scheme for the regular testing of zoo animals to improve the diagnostic ability and comparison of results between institutions.
Sternberg
Susanna
S
National Veterinary Institute, SE-751 89 Uppsala, Sweden.
Bernodt
Karin
K
Holmström
Andrea
A
Röken
Bengt
B
D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000662:veterinary*; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010527:Perissodactyla; D012452:Saguinus; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014374:Tuberculin Test / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000662:veterinary*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*