title: Infection of Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) with Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) bacteria.
abstract: There are few reports of infection with Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) bacteria in badgers. In this study archive data relating to the isolation of MAC organisms from badgers in the UK is presented, and information derived from recent cases of such infection in Spain is used to illustrate the associated pathology and to characterise strain types. Tissue samples were cultured for mycobacteria and, in the case of Spanish badgers, were examined both histopathologically and using immunohistochemistry, and DNA typing of M. avium isolates was also carried out. A total of 5 (7.35%) and 281 (0.51%) isolates of M. avium spp. were recovered from badgers from the studies in Spain and the UK, respectively. DNA typing of the isolates from Spain identified the sub-species M. avium hominissuis and M. avium avium. These findings provide new information on the prevalence of MAC organisms in badgers in the UK and Spain. The extent to which infected badgers may be involved in the epidemiology of M. avium in other wild or domestic hosts remains unknown.
authors.affiliation: Servicio Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario, Camino de Rioseco, Deva, Gijón, Asturias, Spain. abalseiro@serida.org
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balseiro
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Merediz
authors.forename: Iker A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Sevilla
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: García-Castro
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gortázar
authors.forename: José M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Delahay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D045969:Mustelidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D015269:Mycobacterium avium Complex / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015270:Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010802:Phylogeny; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology