Mycobacterium pinnipedii: Transmission from South American sea lion ( Otaria byronia) to Bactrian camel ( Camelus bactrianus bactrianus) and Malayan tapirs ( Tapirus indicus)

• Published in: Veterinary microbiology Vol. 127; no. 3; pp. 399 - 406
• Main Authors: Moser, I., Prodinger, W.M., Hotzel, H., Greenwald, R., Lyashchenko, K.P., Bakker, D., Gomis, D., Seidler, T., Ellenberger, C., Hetzel, U., Wuennemann, K., Moisson, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 18-03-2008; Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: animal diseases; Animals; Animals, Zoo - microbiology; antibodies; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial Typing Techniques - methods; Bacterial Typing Techniques - veterinary; Bacteriology; Bactrian camels; Biological and medical sciences; Camel; Camelus - microbiology; disease detection; disease transmission; Fatal Outcome; Female; France - epidemiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genotype; Germany - epidemiology; Human bacterial diseases; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Microbiology; Miscellaneous; Molecular Epidemiology; mycobacterial diseases; Mycobacterium; Mycobacterium - genetics; Mycobacterium - immunology; Mycobacterium - isolation & purification; Mycobacterium Infections - epidemiology; Mycobacterium Infections - microbiology; Mycobacterium Infections - transmission; Mycobacterium Infections - veterinary; Mycobacterium pinnipedii; Otariidae; Perissodactyla - microbiology; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; Sea lion; Sea Lions - microbiology; Species Specificity; Tapir; Tapirus; Tuberculosis; Tuberculosis and atypical mycobacterial infections; Molecular epidemiology; Tapir; Tuberculosis; Camel; Mycobacterium pinnipedii; Sea lion; Mycobacterium; American; Transmission; Genotype; Mycobacterial infection; Infection; Mycobacteriales; Bacteriosis; Mycobacteriaceae; Bacteria; Actinomycetes
• ISSN: 0378-1135; 1873-2542
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2007.08.028

Tuberculosis infections caused by
Mycobacterium (
M.)
pinnipedii in a South American sea lion, Bactrian camel, and Malayan tapirs kept in two zoological gardens spanning a time period of 5 years are reported. The zoos were linked by the transfer of one tapir. Conventional bacteriological and molecular methods were applied to detect the pathogen. Spoligotyping and MIRU/VNTR-typing performed to assess the genetic similarity revealed identical molecular characteristics of the isolates from all animals involved. Anti-tuberculosis antibodies were detected using ELISA and a recently developed serological rapid test. The study shows that: (i) using molecular methods, the assessment of the genetic relationship of infectious agents helps to confirm the routes of infection, and that (ii) immunological tests may help to detect tuberculosis infections
ante mortem more reliably and early. This would prevent the transfer of tuberculosis by asymptomatic animals.