Incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle in seven Central European countries during the years 1990-1999

Self Cite

Infected animals in the wild, which can act as a reservoir and/or vector for the origin of bovine tuberculosis, are a great problem for national programmes seeking to free herds of ca�le from the infection. The circulation of Mycobacterium bovis in the wild animal population might cause a slow-down in the progress of control programmes through the reinfection of herds of livestock. The Eurasian badger (Meles meles) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) living in the wild in Great Britain and Ireland, brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), ferrets (Mustela putorius f. furo) in New Zealand and wild buffalo (Bubalus arnee) in Australia are among already known reservoirs and vectors of bovine tuberculosis. In 7 countries of Central Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia) bovine tuberculosis in ca�le was controlled as part of national control programmes more than 20 years ago. In the last decade M. bovis has been diagnosed extremely sporadically in ca�le and other domestic animals as well as in wild animals held in captivity or living in the wild. This favourable situation could be threatened by the mycobacteria spreading via the wild boar (Sus scrofa) which is susceptible to mycobacterial infection and very abundant in Central Europe. According to available literary data, mycobacteria were detected in 361 wild boar originating from countries other than those of Central Europe, such as Australia, Bulgaria, Germany, the Hawaiian island of Molokai, Italy and Spain. M. tuberculosis complex (33.9%) and M. bovis complex (39.8%) isolates were most frequently detected in the faeces and/or parenchymatous organs of wild boar. Of other mycobacterial species, M. intracellulare (3.8%), M. avium subsp. avium (3.8%), M. terrae (2.4%), M. fortuitum (2.2%), M. scrofulaceum (2.2%), M. gordonae (0.8%), M. simiae (0.5%), M. szulgai (0.5%), M. xenopi (0.5%), M. smegmatis (0.2%), M. vaccae (0.2%), fast-growing, further unspecified species (0.2%) and unidentified mycobacteria (8.8%) were isolated. Following the analysis of literary data and our own results, it was found that, in the area covered by the above-mentioned 7 countries of Central Europe, a total of 431 wild boar were examined for mycobacterial infections in the years 1983-2001. Tuberculous lesions in parenchymatous organs were found in 43 (10.0%) animals. M. bovis was identified in 22 (5.1%) animals, M. a. avium in 2 (0.4%), M. a. paratuberculosis in 1 (0.2%) animal and atypical

Section: The Pathogenesis and Clinical Symptoms Of Mycobacterial Infementioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) as a possible vector of mycobacterial infections: review of literature and critical analysis of data from Central Europe between 1983 to 2001

Macháčková¹,

Mátlová²,

Lamka³

et al. 2003

Self Cite

“…Although tuberculin testing in cattle over 24 months old was carried out every year, data were available only from 1991 onwards. e results of post-mortem inspections in slaughterhouses Explanations: 1 cattle stocks recorded in 1990 to 1991 on January 1st and in 1992 to 1999 on March 1st 2 total number of cattle 3 number of cows out of the total number of cattle 4 annual production of milk for the standardised lactation of one cow *published previously (Pavlik et al, , 2002c: large herd: catle herd with ≥ 10 cows, small herd: cattle herd with < 9 cows were available for the same period except for 1991 (Tables 2 and 3). Between 1990 and 1995, the data from the veterinary hygiene service were collated for the whole calendar year.…”

Section: Sources Of Statistical Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Mycobacterial infections in cattle in the Czech Republic during 1990-1999

Pavlík¹,

Dvorská²,

Mátlová³

et al. 2002

Self Cite

In the nineties, cattle stocks gradually decreased from 3 506 222 head of cattle in 1990 to 1 657 337 head in 1999. Skin testing of cattle was carried out annually using bovine tuberculin. Animals for sale were also simultaneously tested with avian tuberculin. In records from 1991 to 1999 a total of 14 611 393 bovine tuberculin skin tests and 611 405 simultaneous avian tuberculin skin tests are registered. A total of 1 457 (0.01%) animals reacted positively with bovine tuberculin and 1 790 (0.29%) with avian tuberculin. In the period monitored a total of 7 268 274 head of cattle were slaughtered and given veterinary hygienic examinations. Statistical data on the post-mortem detection of tuberculous lesions have been available for nine years since 1992 when tuberculous lesions were found in 1 186 (0.019%) out of 6 273 441 slaughtered animals. Mycobacteria were isolated from the organs of only 561 (17.5%) out of 3 202 culturally examined animals. M. bovis only was isolated from 48 (8.6%) animals originating from seven herds (two infected herds in 1991, 1992 and 1994 and one infected herd in 1995): four outbreaks were detected by annual skin testing, one outbreak by movement tuberculin skin testing and two outbreaks by the detection of tuberculous lesions at slaughter. M. avium complex strains of serotypes 1, 2 and 3 and of genotypes IS901+ and IS1245+ were isolated from 331 (59.0%) animals and strains of serotypes 4 to 6, 8 to 11 and 21 and of genotypes IS901- and IS1245+ were isolated from 132 (23.5%) animals. Potentially pathogenic bacteria of the M. chelonae, M. terrae, M. phlei and M. fortuitum species were isolated from 50 (8.9%) animals. Neither miliary nor generalised tuberculosis was found in any of the animals. Between 1996 and 1999, the proportion of cattle in which tuberculous lesions were recorded decreased.

“…National control programmes against bovine tuberculosis in cattle were completed in all the six Central European countries included in our study (Pavlik et al, 2002). Their success are documented by a relatively low incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle in Poland and Hungary in 1990 through 1999 and by the last cases of M. bovis isolated from cattle in Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia, during this period (Pavlik et al, 2002; Table 3).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Their success are documented by a relatively low incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle in Poland and Hungary in 1990 through 1999 and by the last cases of M. bovis isolated from cattle in Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia, during this period (Pavlik et al, 2002; Table 3). In the subsequent long post-elimination period (such as in the Czech Republic) the incidence of bovine tuberculosis decreased not only in cattle, but also in other animal species of domestic and wild animals (Pavlik et al, 1998).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Incidence of bovine tuberculosis in wild and domestic animals other than cattle in six Central European countries during 1990-1999

Pavlík¹,

Macháčková²,

Ayele³

et al. 2002

Self Cite

The study was undertaken in Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia laying between Baltic and Adriatic seas on 610 402 km<sup>2</sup>. Mycobacterium bovis infection was diagnosed in 70 animals belonging to 17 species other than cattle. The set of wild animals comprised 12 European bison (Bison bonasus), one red deer (Cervus elaphus), five wild boars (Sus scrofa), and one European wild goat (Capra aegagrus) bred in a game park. Further positive animals included two farmed red deer (Cervus elaphus) and one bactrian camel (Camelus ferus) owned by a circus. The infection was also demonstrated in 18 domestic animals belonging to 3 species living on farms where bovine tuberculosis was diagnosed in cattle. This set included 12 domestic pigs (Sus scrofa f. domestica), two domestic sheep (Ovis ammon f. aries), and four dogs (Canis lupus f. familiaris). The set of animals bred in zoological gardens consisted of 30 animals belonging to 9 species as follows: three bison (Bison bison), four tapirs (Tapirus terrestris), one cassowary (Casuarius casuarius – isolate identified by the biological assay in guinea pigs only), eight sitatungas (Tragelaphus spekei), three elands (Taurotragus oryx), one gnu (Connochaetes taurinus), eight reticulated giraffes (Giraffa cameloparadlis reticulata), one puma (Puma concolor), and one Vietnamese pot-bellied pig (Sus bucculentus). Although, considering the population sizes, absolute numbers of the infected individuals are rather low, wild animals or such animals bred in captivity should be regarded as possible reservoirs of the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis. Tests for bovine tuberculosis are therefore necessary before transportation of all wild animals. Any lesion arousing suspicion of tuberculosis found on necropsy of wild animals must be laboratory examined for the presence of mycobacteria.