Human pulmonary infections with bovine and environment (atypical) Mycobacteria in Jos, Nigeria

Abstract

SUMMARYObjectives: To examine sputum specimens from patients with persistent bronchopulmonary disorders for mycobacterium species and to characterize the recovered isolates with a view to determining the extent of involvement of environmental mycobacteria in pulmonary infections. Design: Analytical study using standard microscopy, culture and biochemical test for the identification of mycobacterium species. Setting: Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and 2 referral hospitals: Plateau Specialist Hospital and Evangelical Churches of West Africa (ECWA) Evangel Hospital in Jos, Nigeria. Participants: Three hundred and twenty nine (329) volunteer new patients seen at the chest clinic and general out patient departments with broncho-pulmonary disorders. Patients already on anti-tuberculosis were excluded from the study. Interventions: Subjects were administered antituberculosis drugs and or other treatment regimes after proper diagnosis Results: Sixty-five (65) mycobacterial isolates were obtained and differentiated into human tubercle bacilli, bovine and or environmental (atypical) mycobacteria on the basis of nine identification tests. Of the 65 mycobacterial isolates subjected to the tests, 40 (61.54%) were identified as mycobacterium tuberculosis, 10 (15.38%) as M. bovis and 15 (23.08%) as environmental mycobacteria. Among the environmental group, 9 (20.69%) were classified as M. avium 3 (3.45%) each as M. kansasi and M. fortuitum. Conclusions:The study confirms the involvement of bovine and environmental mycobacteria in pulmonary infections. This may be related to the rising prevalence of HIV/AIDS globally. The need for adequate bacteriological analysis in current-day diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in indicated.

Preliminary Study on the Prevalence of Bovine Tuberculosis and Risk Factors Among Pastoralists in Gombe State, North Eastern Nigeria

“…Cattle could have acquired the infection through contaminated environment during grazing or at water sources. The high prevalence of NTM seen in this study in both cattle and human is even lower than the previous reports in Jos, Nigeria by Mwak et al [29] who reported a prevalence of 23.08% in humans, and also in Tanzania by Shirima et al [30] and Durnez et al [31] reported prevalence of 6% and 10% respectively in cattle. Similarly, in their study Mdegella et al [32] and Durnez et al [31] found also high prevalence of 14% and 19% of NTM in milk samples.…”

Laboratory Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Resource-Poor Countries: Challenges and Opportunities

“…In Nigeria, the prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis from M. bovis varies from 10% in the southern part of the country to about 15% in the more nomadic north (107). Similarly to most African communities, in Nigeria cow milk is often pooled and consumed without any form of pasteurization or purification (74).…”

Molecular epidemiology of human and animal tuberculosis in Ibadan, Southwestern Nigeria

“…In the light of this disease as a re-emerging zoonosis worldwide and particularly in developing countries like Nigeria, due to increasing incidences of HIV/AIDS infections Katibi, 2006, 2007), a thorough epidemiological assessment is required. Previous epidemiological studies on human tuberculosis in Nigeria were based on mycobacterial culture and they revealed approximately 3.9% of culture positive isolates were M. bovis (Idigbe et al, 1986;Mawak et al, 2006). Recently, MTC strains isolated from human samples in Nigeria were characterized using molecular methods like spoligotyping.…”