title: Pulmonary Disease due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a Horse: Zoonotic Concerns and Limitations of Antemortem Testing.
abstract: A case of pulmonary tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis was diagnosed in a horse. Clinical evaluation performed prior to euthanasia did not suggest tuberculosis, but postmortem examination provided pathological and bacteriological evidence of mycobacteriosis. In the lungs, multiple tuberculoid granulomas communicating with the bronchiolar lumen, pleural effusion, and a granulomatous lymphadenitis involving mediastinal and tracheobronchial lymph nodes were found. Serologic response to M. tuberculosis antigens was detected in the infected horse, but not in the group of 42 potentially exposed animals (18 horses, 14 alpacas, 6 donkeys, and 4 dogs) which showed no signs of disease. Diagnosis of tuberculosis in live horses remains extremely difficult. Four of 20 animal handlers at the farm were positive for tuberculous infection upon follow-up testing by interferon-gamma release assay, indicating a possibility of interspecies transmission of M. tuberculosis.
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Department, Chembio Diagnostic Systems, Inc., 3661 Horseblock Road, Medford, NY 11763, USA.
authors.forename: Konstantin P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Lyashchenko
authors.forename: Rena
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Greenwald
authors.forename: Javan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Esfandiari
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lecu
authors.forename: W Ray
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.forename: Horst
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Posthaus
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bodmer
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Janssens
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aloisio
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Graubner
authors.forename: Eléonore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grosclaude
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piersigilli
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schiller