Mycobacterium tuberculosis exposure of livestock in a German dairy farm: implications for intra vitam diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis in an officially tuberculosis-free country.
Germany has been an officially bovine tuberculosis (bTB)-free (OTF) country since 1996. Gradually rising numbers of bTB herd incidents due to Mycobacterium bovis and M. caprae in North-Western and Southern Germany during the last few years prompted the competent authorities to conduct a nationwide bTB survey in 2013/2014. This led to the detection of a dairy herd in which as many as 55 cattle reacted positively to consecutive intra vitam testing. Test-positive animals lacked visible lesions indicative of bTB at necropsy. Extensive mycobacterial culturing as well as molecular testing of samples from 11 tissues for members of the M. tuberculosis complex (MTC) yielded negative results throughout. However, caseous lymphadenitis of Ln. mandibularis accessorius was observed during meat inspection of a fattening pig from the same farm at regular slaughter at that time. Respective tissue samples tested MTC positive by polymerase chain reaction, and M. tuberculosis T1 family were identified by spoligotyping. Four human reactors within the farmer's family were also found to be immunoreactive. As exposure of livestock to M. tuberculosis is not generally considered, its impact may result in regulatory and practical difficulties when using protocols designed to detect classical bTB, particularly in OTF countries.
Hessian State Laboratory (LHL),Division for Veterinary Medicine,Gießen,Germany.
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T
Eisenberg
Hessian State Laboratory (LHL),Division for Veterinary Medicine,Gießen,Germany.
A
A
Nesseler
Hessian State Laboratory (LHL),Division for Veterinary Medicine,Gießen,Germany.
C
C
Sauerwald
Hessian State Laboratory (LHL),Division for Veterinary Medicine,Gießen,Germany.
U
U
Kling
Hessian State Laboratory (LHL),Division for Veterinary Medicine,Gießen,Germany.
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K
Riße
Hessian State Laboratory (LHL),Division for Veterinary Medicine,Gießen,Germany.
U
U
Kaim
Hessian State Laboratory (LHL),Division for Veterinary Medicine,Gießen,Germany.
G
G
Althoff
Hessian State Laboratory (LHL),Division for Veterinary Medicine,Gießen,Germany.
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N
Fiege
Hessian State Laboratory (LHL),Division for Veterinary Medicine,Gießen,Germany.
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K
Schlez
Hessian State Laboratory (LHL),Division for Veterinary Medicine,Gießen,Germany.
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HP
Hamann
Hessian State Laboratory (LHL),Division for Veterinary Medicine,Gießen,Germany.
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A
Fawzy
Institute of Molecular Pathogenesis, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (Federal Research Institute for Animal Health),Jena,Germany.
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I
Moser
Veterinary Office,District Vogelsbergkreis,Lauterbach,Germany.
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R
Riße
Veterinary Office,District Vogelsbergkreis,Lauterbach,Germany.
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G
Kraft
Hessian State Laboratory (LHL),Division for Veterinary Medicine,Gießen,Germany.
M
M
Zschöck
Institute of Molecular Pathogenesis, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (Federal Research Institute for Animal Health),Jena,Germany.
C
C
Menge
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D014380:Tuberculosis, Bovine / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology
Bovine tuberculosis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; legislation; monitoring; pig; skin test