title: Severity of bovine tuberculosis is associated with co-infection with common pathogens in wild boar.
abstract: Co-infections with parasites or viruses drive tuberculosis dynamics in humans, but little is known about their effects in other non-human hosts. This work aims to investigate the relationship between Mycobacterium bovis infection and other pathogens in wild boar (Sus scrofa), a recognized reservoir of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in Mediterranean ecosystems. For this purpose, it has been assessed whether contacts with common concomitant pathogens are associated with the development of severe bTB lesions in 165 wild boar from mid-western Spain. The presence of bTB lesions affecting only one anatomic location (cervical lymph nodes), or more severe patterns affecting more than one location (mainly cervical lymph nodes and lungs), was assessed in infected animals. In addition, the existence of contacts with other pathogens such as porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV), swine influenza virus, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Haemophilus parasuis and Metastrongylus spp, was evaluated by means of serological, microbiological and parasitological techniques. The existence of contacts with a structured community of pathogens in wild boar infected by M. bovis was statistically investigated by null models. Association between this community of pathogens and bTB severity was examined using a Partial Least Squares regression approach. Results showed that adult wild boar infected by M. bovis had contacted with some specific, non-random pathogen combinations. Contact with PCV2, ADV and infection by Metastrongylus spp, was positively correlated to tuberculosis severity. Therefore, measures against these concomitant pathogens such as vaccination or deworming, might be useful in tuberculosis control programmes in the wild boar. However, given the unexpected consequences of altering any community of organisms, further research should evaluate the impact of such measures under controlled conditions. Furthermore, more research including other important pathogens, such as gastro-intestinal nematodes, will be necessary to complete this picture.
authors.affiliation: Red de Grupos de Investigación en Recursos Faunísticos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Risco
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Departamento de Biología, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal; Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Serrano
authors.affiliation: Red de Grupos de Investigación en Recursos Faunísticos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fernández-Llario
authors.affiliation: Red de Grupos de Investigación en Recursos Faunísticos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.
authors.forename: Jesús M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cuesta
authors.affiliation: Red de Grupos de Investigación en Recursos Faunísticos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Red de Grupos de Investigación en Recursos Faunísticos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.
authors.forename: Waldo L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: García-Jiménez
authors.affiliation: Red de Grupos de Investigación en Recursos Faunísticos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.
authors.forename: Remigio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.affiliation: Red de Grupos de Investigación en Recursos Faunísticos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cerrato
authors.affiliation: Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Roser
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Velarde
authors.affiliation: Red de Grupos de Investigación en Recursos Faunísticos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona - l″Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries, Bellaterra, Spain; Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Joaquím
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Segalés
authors.affiliation: Red de Grupos de Investigación en Recursos Faunísticos, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hermoso de Mendoza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D060085:Coinfection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005843:Geography; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013030:Spain; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D014380:Tuberculosis, Bovine / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*