Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Infection in Eurasian Badger (Meles meles) and Cattle in Asturias, Spain

The present work investigated the prevalence, spatial distribution, and temporal distribution of tuberculosis (TB) in free-ranging Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) and cattle in Asturias (Atlantic Spain) during a 13-year follow-up. The study objective was to assess the role of badgers as a TB reservoir for cattle and other sympatric wild species in the region. Between 2008 and 2020, 673 badgers (98 trapped and 575 killed in road traffic accidents) in Asturias were necropsied, and their tissue samples were cultured for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) isolation. Serum samples were tested in an in-house indirect P22 ELISA to detect antibodies against the MTC. In parallel, data on MTC isolation and single intradermal tuberculin test results were extracted for cattle that were tested and culled as part of the Spanish National Program for the Eradication of Bovine TB. A total of 27/639 badgers (4.23%) were positive for MTC based on bacterial isolation, while 160/673 badgers (23.77%) were found to be positive with the P22 ELISA. The rate of seropositivity was higher among adult badgers than subadults. Badger TB status was spatially and temporally associated with cattle TB status. Our results cannot determine the direction of possible interspecies transmission, but they are consistent with the idea that the two hosts may exert infection pressure on each other. This study highlights the importance of the wildlife monitoring of infection and disease during epidemiological interventions in order to optimize outcomes.

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Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Strains in Ghana

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0161892 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. e0161892 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Dorothy Yeboah-Manu ◽

P. Asare ◽

A. Asante-Poku ◽

I. D. Otchere ◽

S. Osei-Wusu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Complex ◽

Temporal Distribution ◽

Tuberculosis Complex ◽

Spatio Temporal

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Retrospective Analysis of Archived Pyrazinamide Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Isolates from Uganda—Evidence of Interspecies Transmission

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms7080221 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (8) ◽

pp. 221 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sylvia I. Wanzala ◽

Jesca Nakavuma ◽

Dominic Travis ◽

Praiscillia Kia ◽

Sam Ogwang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Complex ◽

Strong Relationship ◽

Interspecies Transmission ◽

Pcr Analysis ◽

Reference Laboratory ◽

Genome Sequences ◽

Tuberculosis Complex ◽

Human Patient ◽

Associated Proteins

The contribution of Mycobacterium bovis to the proportion of tuberculosis cases in humans is unknown. A retrospective study was undertaken on archived Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates from a reference laboratory in Uganda to identify the prevalence of human M. bovis infection. A total of 5676 isolates maintained in this repository were queried and 136 isolates were identified as pyrazinamide resistant, a hallmark phenotype of M. bovis. Of these, 1.5% (n = 2) isolates were confirmed as M. bovis by using regions of difference PCR analysis. The overall size of whole genome sequences (WGSs) of these two M. bovis isolates were ~4.272 Mb (M. bovis Bz_31150 isolated from a captive chimpanzee) and 4.17 Mb (M. bovis B2_7505 from a human patient), respectively. Alignment of these genomes against 15 MTBC genome sequences revealed 7248 single nucleotide polumorphisms (SNPs). Theses SNPs were used for phylogenetic analysis that indicated a strong relationship between M. bovis and the chimpanzee isolate (Bz_31150) while the other M. bovis genome from the human patient (B2_7505) analyzed did not cluster with any M. bovis or M. tuberculosis strains. WGS analysis also revealed multidrug resistance genotypes; these genomes revealed pncA mutations at positions H57D in Bz_31150 and B2_7505. Phenotypically, B2_7505 was an extensively drug-resistant strain and this was confirmed by the presence of mutations in the major resistance-associated proteins for all anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs, including isoniazid (KatG (S315T) and InhA (S94A)), fluoroquinolones (S95T), streptomycin (rrs (R309C)), and rifampin (D435Y, a rare but disputed mutation in rpoB). The presence of these mutations exclusively in the human M. bovis isolate suggested that these occurred after transmission from cattle. Genome analysis in this study identified M. bovis in humans and great apes, suggesting possible transmission from domesticated ruminants in the area due to a dynamic and changing interface, which has created opportunity for exposure and transmission.

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