title: Experimental infection of Eurasian wild boar with Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium.
abstract: The Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) is increasingly relevant as a host for several pathogenic mycobacteria. We aimed to characterize the first experimental Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium (MAA) infection in wild boar in order to describe the lesions and the immune response as compared to uninfected controls. Twelve 1-4-month-old wild boar piglets were housed in class III bio-containment facilities. Four concentrations of MAA suspension were used: 10, 10(2) and 10(4) mycobacteria (2 animals each, oropharyngeal route) and 2.5 x 10(6) mycobacteria (2 animals each by the oropharyngeal and nasal routes). No clinical signs were observed and pathology evidenced a low pathogenicity of this MAA strain for this particular host. Bacteriological and pathological evidence of successful infection after experimental inoculation was found for the group challenged with 2.5 x 10(6) mycobacteria. These four wild boar showed a positive IFN-gamma response to the avian PPD and the real-time RT-PCR data revealed that three genes, complement component C3, IFN-gamma and RANTES, were significantly down regulated in infected animals. These results were similar to those found in naturally and experimentally M. bovis-infected wild boar and may constitute biomarkers of mycobacterial infection in this species.
authors.affiliation: NEIKER-Tecnalia, Animal Health Department, 48160 Derio, Bizkaia, Spain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Garrido
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carrasco-García
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Galindo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Minguijón
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ballesteros
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aranaz
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sevilla
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Juste
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de la Fuente
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gortazar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D017931:DNA Primers; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013030:Spain; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D007371:Interferon-gamma