Whole genome sequencing of four Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis isolates from captive tapirs and their enclosure
A group of lowland tapirs at the Cologne Zoo, the animals showed signs of a respiratory infection. One young animal had to be euthanised at the age of two months due to the severity of the disease. Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) was isolated post mortem from the lungs of this animal. In the course of the subsequent intensive sampling, MAH was also isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage samples of the parent animals and from the enclosure environment (water/bathing pool, sputum on the floor). Four MAH isolates were sequenced using Illumina and Nanopore technology and the genomic similarity and relatedness was assessed.