Lepra Bubalorum, a Potential Reservoir of Mycobacterium leprae

Abstract

In 1926, a mycobacterial skin disease was observed in water buffaloes by researchers in Indonesia. The disease was designated as skin tuberculosis, though it was hypothesized that it might be a form of leprosy or a leprosy-like disease. In a follow-up study (Ph.D. thesis Lobel, 1934, Utrecht University, Netherlands) a similar nodular skin disease was described in Indonesian water buffaloes and named “lepra bubalorum” or “nodular leprosy.” Two decades later Kraneveld and Roza (1954) reported that, so far, the diagnosis lepra bubalorum had been made in 146 cases in Indonesia. After a final series of research reports by Indonesian veterinarians in 1961, no subsequent cases were published. Based on information from these reports, it can be concluded that, even though evidence of nerve involvement in buffaloes was not reported, similarities exist between lepra bubalorum and Hansen’s disease (leprosy), i.e., nodular skin lesions with a chronic course and microscopically granulomatous reactions with AFB in globi in vacuoles. This raises the question as to whether these historical cases might indeed have been caused by Mycobacterium leprae, Mycobacterium lepromatosis or another representative of the M. leprae complex. The future use of state-of-the-art molecular techniques may answer this question and may also help to answer the question whether water buffaloes should be considered as a potential natural reservoir of the causative pathogen of Hansen’s disease.

Ticks are unlikely to play a role in leprosy transmission in the Comoros (East Africa) as they do not harbour M. leprae DNA

“…For both R. microplus and A. variegatum which mainly feed on cattle and other large animals ( 24 ), such cross-over events have been reported ( 25 – 27 ). A recent publication by Faber et al ( 28 ) is raising the hypothesis that a skin disease in water buffaloes described as lepra bubalorum could be caused by M. leprae and therefore act as animal reservoir. However, evidence for cases in Indonesia is only historical as there were no further reports for lepra bubalorum in cattle since 1961 ( 29 ) and there is no water buffalo population described in the Union of the Comoros ( 30 ).…”