Epidemiological characterization of Mycobacterium caprae strains isolated from wildlife in the Bieszczady Mountains, on the border of Southeast Poland

Abstract

Background The majority of animal tuberculosis (TB) cases reported in wildlife in Poland over the past 20 years have concerned the European bison inhabiting the Bieszczady Mountains in Southeast Poland: an area running along the border of Southeast Poland. As no TB cases have been reported in domestic animals in this region since 2005, any occurrence of TB in the free-living animals inhabiting this area might pose a real threat to local livestock and result in the loss of disease-free status. The aim of the study was to describe the occurrence of tuberculosis in the wildlife of the Bieszczady Mountains and determine the microbiological and molecular characteristics of any cultured strains. Lymph node samples were collected for analysis from 274 free-living animals, including European bison, red foxes, badgers, red deer, wild boar and roe deer between 2011 and 2017. Löwenstein–Jensen and Stonebrink media were used for culture. Molecular identification of strains was performed based on hsp65 sequence analysis, the GenoType®MTBC (Hain Lifescience, Germany) test, spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTR analysis. Results Mycobacterium caprae was isolated from the lymph nodes of 21 out of 55 wild boar (38.2%; CI 95%: 26.5%, 51.4%) and one roe deer. Since 2014, no new TB cases have been reported in the Bieszczady European bison population. Conclusions The identification of TB in wild boar in the Bieszczady is an alarming phenomenon, which requires further investigation. The Bieszczady mountains are a precious, unique area, home to many protected species. However, it is also the only area in Poland where TB cases have been reported in free-living animals. The occurrence of TB in wild boar inhabiting this area might pose a real threat to local livestock and many of the protected species (for example European bison that can share feeding places with wild boar). Given this situation, ongoing monitoring of the prevalence of TB should be conducted, and protective measures should be considered.

Microbiological and molecular monitoring for bovine tuberculosis in the Polish population of European bison (Bison bonasus)

“…caprae have been isolated previously in European wildlife such as red deer (Cervus elaphus) [41,42,43,44], red fox (Vulpes vulpes) [45] and wild boar [46]. It has also been described in wild boar (Sus scrofa), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and wolves (Canis lupus) in Poland [47]. The MIRU-VNTR pattern obtained in the present study has not been described previously.…”

The potential risk of international spread of Mycobacterium bovis associated with movement of alpacas

“…Poland has maintained official TB-free status for over a decade although TB has been sporadically found in cattle and other species ( 6 , 19 , 23 ). The UK is one of the few countries in Europe that does not have TB-free status ( 5 ) and alpacas imported from that country jeopardise Poland’s TB status.…”

Review on Bovine Tuberculosis: An Emerging Disease Associated with Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium Species

“…Similarly, Mtb was reported to be isolated from bTB in buffaloes ( Bubalus bubalis ) [ 13 ], which paints a darker picture in the control of TB, especially in developing countries. In addition, tuberculosis is a severe threat to wildlife animals, including species under strict protection, such as European bison (Bison bonasus) or African elephants [ 16 , 17 ]. Also, bTB is a significant hazard in zoological gardens [ 18 ].…”