Mixed Infection of Mycobacterium szulgai, M. lentiflavum, and Gram-Negative Bacteria as a Cause of Death in a Brown Caiman Caiman crocodylus: A Case Report

Abstract

This paper describes a fatal case of nontuberculosis mycobacteriosis in a four-year-old brown caiman kept in captivity. Although the clinical signs were asymptomatic, severe gross lesions were observed, namely necrotic inflammation of the intestines and granulomatous hepatitis. Microbiological and histopathological examination performed on the tissues collected postmortem revealed a mixed infection of Mycobacterium lentiflavum and Mycobacterium szulgai, secondarily mimicked with Salmonella Coeln, Aeromonas hydrofila, Citrobacter freundii, and Providencia rettgeri. Those microorganisms are not only potentially pathogenic to reptiles, but also have a zoonotic importance for humans. Our findings clearly demonstrate the importance of educating owners and maintaining hygiene rules when handling reptiles.

Study of Zoonotic Pathogens in Alien Population of Veiled Chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus) in the Canary Islands (Spain)

“…rpoB gene amplification occurred in three bacterial isolates, indicating an infection with M. microti or non-tuberculous bacteria. It probably corresponds to mycobacteria from the outer tuberculous complex, more common in reptiles such as Mycobacterium chelonae or Mycobacterium marinum [60], with one human reptile-related case reported concerning the second one [61]. The other two samples were positive for M. bovis, a zoonotic tuberculous bacterium with relevance in human health [62], but it cannot be confirmed if M. bovis can develop inside veiled chameleons or if they are just carriers, similar to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, whose reservoir are human beings, but have been identified in a huge variety of animals [63].…”