title: Mycobacteriosis in ostriches (Struthio camelus) due to infection with Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium complex.
abstract: Avian tuberculosis rarely affects ratites compared to other bird species and is typically caused by Mycobacterium avium species. This study describes the pathological and microbiological findings in three adult ostriches with mycobacteriosis, in one of which Mycobacterium bovis was isolated from the lesions. Post mortem examinations on ostriches from two different zoological collections in Ireland revealed multifocal caseous granulomas affecting the spleen and liver in all cases, with additional involvement of intestines in two cases. In one case, granulomas were present within the pharynx, at the thoracic inlet and multifocally on the pleural surface. Acid-fast bacilli were observed in all lesions. Mycobacterium sp. of the M. avium complex was isolated from the intestinal lesions in the two cases with intestinal involvement, and M. bovis sp. oligotype SB0140 was cultured from the liver of the third ostrich. This represents the first reported case of M. bovis infection in an ostrich. Avian tuberculosis due to M. bovis is rare and to date has been reported in only parrots and experimentally inoculated birds. Mycobacterium bovis needs to be considered as a possible cause of tuberculosis in ostriches because the lesions are similar to those observed with M. avium complex infection.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Pathobiology, UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, Dublin, Ireland. pamela.kelly@ucd.ie
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Pathobiology, UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Hanne
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jahns
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, Regional Laboratory, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Power
authors.affiliation: Dublin Zoological Gardens, Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bainbridge
authors.affiliation: Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Kildare, Ireland.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kenny
authors.affiliation: Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Corpa
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Pathobiology, UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Joseph P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cassidy
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Pathobiology, UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Callanan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial / Q000662:veterinary; D004064:Digestive System / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D007494:Ireland; D009162:Mycobacterium avium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D013154:Spleen / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D020310:Struthioniformes; D014379:Tuberculosis, Avian / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology