title: Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) using the QuantiFERON-TB gold (in-tube) assay.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Early diagnosis of simian tuberculosis (TB) is vital to prevent transmission of this disease. We evaluated the ability of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold (In-Tube Method) assay (QFG-IT) to detect TB in chacma baboons (Papio ursinus).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one baboons were tested using the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) and the QFG-IT. Baboons testing positive, and animals exposed to infected individuals, were euthanised and subjected to necropsy. Selected tissues were processed for histopathology, mycobacterial culture and genetic speciation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tuberculosis was confirmed in one TST positive/QFG-IT positive animal and one TST negative/QFG-IT positive animal. One TST positive/QFG-IT negative animal and five TST negative/QFG-IT negative animals were confirmed uninfected following necropsy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The QFG-IT correctly detected TB in two baboons, including one TST negative individual and correctly identified six baboons as uninfected, including one TST positive individual. The QFG-IT shows promise as a sensitive, specific test for TB in chacma baboons.
authors.affiliation: DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research/MRC Centre for Molecular and Cellular Biology/Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa. sparsons@sun.ac.za
authors.forename: Sven D C
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Parsons
authors.forename: Tertius A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Gous
authors.forename: Robin M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: Charon
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Villiers
authors.forename: Jürgen V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Seier
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: van Helden
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D008992:Monkey Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D048549:Papio ursinus / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D001500:BCG Vaccine; D007371:Interferon-gamma