title: Mycobacterium spp. in wild game in Slovenia.
abstract: Wildlife species are an important reservoir of mycobacterial infections that may jeopardise efforts to control and eradicate bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis. Slovenia is officially free of bTB, but no data on the presence of mycobacteria in wild animals has been reported. In this study, samples of liver and lymph nodes were examined from 306 apparently healthy free-range wild animals of 13 species in Slovenia belonging to the families Cervidae, Suidae, Canidae, Mustelidae and Bovidae. Mycobacteria were isolated from 36/306 (11.8%) animals (red deer, roe deer, fallow deer, wild boar and jackal) and identified by PCR, commercial diagnostic kits and sequencing. Non-tuberculous mycobacteria identified in five species were Mycobacterium peregrinum, M. avium subsp. hominissuis, M. intracellulare, M. confluentis, M. fortuitum, M. terrae, M. avium subsp. avium, M. celatum, M. engbaekii, M. neoaurum, M. nonchromogenicum and M. vaccae.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, SI-1115 Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: mateja.pate@vf.uni-lj.si.
authors.forename: Mateja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pate
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, SI-1115 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Urška
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Zajc
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, SI-1115 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Darja
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kušar
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, SI-1115 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Žele
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, SI-1115 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Gorazd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vengušt
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, SI-1115 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pirš
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Gerbičeva 60, SI-1115 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Matjaž
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ocepek
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001188:Artiodactyla / Q000382:microbiology*; D002335:Carnivora / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D017524:Slovenia
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: 16S rRNA; Mycobacterium spp; PCR; Slovenia; Wildlife