title: [Mycobacterium bovis in wildlife of the dairy regions of Santa Fe (Argentina)].
abstract: Control eradication campaigns of bovine tuberculosis based on the «test and slaughter» approach were successful in many countries and regions; however, in some areas the infection persists and one of the main reasons is Mycobacterium bovis infection in wild life species. Argentina has applied the same approach since 1999, achieving progress in dairy cattle herds. Nonetheless, the wildlife role has never been investigated. The objective of this study was to determine if wildlife from the Santa Fe dairy area is infected with M. bovis. Wildlife species having a positive tuberculin skin test were captured in five dairy farms. Ninety five wildlife mammals were captured; M. bovis was recovered from 7 possums (Didelphys albiventris), from one fox (Lycolapex gimnocercus) and from one rat (Rattus norvegicus). None of the animals exhibited macroscopic lesions. The most frequently isolated M. bovis spoligotypes were types 34 (4 isolates) and 12 (3 isolates). Spoligotype 34 is the most frequently isolated type in Argentine cattle. The role of D. albiventris as spillover host of M. bovis is discussed in this study.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina. Electronic address: abdala.alejandro@inta.gob.ar.
authors.forename: Alejandro A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Abdala
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas, Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garbaccio
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas, Castelar, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Martín
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zumárraga
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Rafaela, Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina.
authors.forename: Héctor D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Tarabla
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000382:microbiology*; D001118:Argentina / Q000453:epidemiology; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002417:Cattle / Q000382:microbiology; D003612:Dairying; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005589:Foxes / Q000382:microbiology; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009893:Opossums / Q000382:microbiology; D051381:Rats / Q000382:microbiology; D014380:Tuberculosis, Bovine / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission
keywords: Didelphis albiventris; Fauna silvestre; Mycobacterium bovis; Wildlife