title: Tuberculosis Caused by Mycobacterium bovis in a Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris).
abstract: Tuberculosis, associated with Mycobacterium bovis, was diagnosed post mortem in an adult female capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), kept at the Pampulha Ecological Park, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in a large metropolitan area. On post-mortem examination, there were numerous firm white nodules scattered throughout all lobes of both lungs. Tissue samples were collected for histological and microbiological examination. Microscopically, the pulmonary nodules were multifocal to coalescing granulomas and intralesional acid-fast bacilli were evident in Ziehl-Neelsen-stained sections of the lung and spleen. Colonies with morphological features of Mycobacterium spp. were isolated from lung samples and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with genomic DNA from the isolates was positive for M. bovis; sequencing indicated 100% identity with the region of difference 4 (RD4) of M. bovis. In addition, M. bovis DNA was detected in the lung by quantitative PCR. The finding of M. bovis in a capybara indicates a potential public health risk in a zoological collection.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: J P S
authors.initials: JPS
authors.lastname: Mol
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, LANAGRO/MG, Brasilia, Brazil.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, LANAGRO/MG, Brasilia, Brazil.
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Sales
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, LANAGRO/MG, Brasilia, Brazil.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Issa
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, LANAGRO/MG, Brasilia, Brazil.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Rezende
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, LANAGRO/MG, Brasilia, Brazil.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hodon
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Jardim Zoológico da Fundação Zoo-Botânica de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Tinoco
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Jardim Zoológico da Fundação Zoo-Botânica de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: M C C
authors.initials: MCC
authors.lastname: Malta
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Jardim Zoológico da Fundação Zoo-Botânica de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Pessanha
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pierezan
authors.affiliation: Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, LANAGRO/MG, Brasilia, Brazil.
authors.forename: P M P C
authors.initials: PMPC
authors.lastname: Mota
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patologia Geral, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Paixão
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Clínica e Cirurgia Veterinárias, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Electronic address: rsantos@vet.ufmg.br.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Santos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis; D012377:Rodentia / Q000382:microbiology*; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Mycobacterium bovis; capybara; tuberculosis