title: Isolation of Mycobacterium spp. from milking buffaloes and cattle in Nepal.
abstract: In Nepal, mycobacterial isolates obtained from the milk and feces of buffaloes and cattle that were positive for the single intradermal cervical tuberculin (SICT) tests were genetically identified. A total of 36 mycobacterial strains were isolated from 39% of the buffaloes (14 of 36) and 34% of the cattle (11 of 32). Of the 36 strains, 13 were identified as M. bovis, and these strains were isolated from 17% of the buffaloes (6 of 36) and 16% of the cattle (5 of 32). M. bovis was isolated from both the milk and feces of one buffalo and one cattle, the milk alone of three buffaloes and three cattle, and the feces alone of two buffaloes and one cattle. These results suggest that milking buffaloes and cattle infected with M. bovis exist in Nepal. The remaining 23 strains were atypical mycobacteria. A program for the elimination of bovine tuberculosis should be implemented as soon as possible, and the public health education and proper hygienic practices may be required.
authors.affiliation: His Majesty's Government of Nepal, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Department of Livestock Services, Regional Veterinary Laboratory, Kaski, Pakhara, Nepal.
authors.forename: Vijay Chandra
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Jha
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Mermagya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dhakal
authors.forename: Bishunu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Besnet
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Kunihisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kozawa
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kimura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002020:Buffaloes / Q000382:microbiology*; D002417:Cattle / Q000382:microbiology*; D003612:Dairying; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology*; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009390:Nepal; D010802:Phylogeny