Pre-Multidrug-ResistantMycobacterium tuberculosisInfection Causing Fatal Enteric Disease in a Dog from a Family with History of Human Tuberculosis

Abstract

This report describes a fatal case of a pet dog with major enteric signs owned by a family that has experienced cases of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in the household. Clinical and epidemiological aspects, imaging data, microbiological, haematological and histopathological examinations were assessed to diagnosis of disease. gyrB-RFLP, spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTR allowed molecular detection of M. tuberculosis strain from S family. The resazurin microtiter assay indicated that all isolates were resistant to isoniazid, ethambutol, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, streptomycin and amikacin. The public health concerns related to canine tuberculosis and risk of the dissemination by pets of M. tuberculosis pre-multidrug-resistant (PMD) to isoniazid, ethambutol and other first-line drugs used in human therapy of TB are discussed. We believe this to be the first report of PMD M. tuberculosis infection in a dog presenting mainly enteric manifestation, confirmed as S lineage by molecular methods, owned by a family in which TB has spread in the household for generations.

Emerging source of infection – Mycobacterium tuberculosis in rescue dogs: a case report

“…Similar to the present case, an uncommon enteric clinical case of TB in a beagle dog with intense intestinal infiltration was reported in Brazil [9]. In that case the primary route of infection was suspected to be through contaminated homemade food containing tubercle bacilli excreted by a TB-positive owner.…”

“…The import of rescue animals at the present extent is a relatively new phenomenon and is increasing heavily. Given the number of reports of single tuberculotic canine cases with striking similarities in the background data [6][7][8][9][10][11], it is reasonable to think that there are numerous unidentified cases among imported dogs in a repeating pattern that have gone unnoticed. In addition to the owners, vulnerable individuals and other pets that may be predisposed to lengthy exposure periods, the work safety of the personnel at veterinary clinics, and even more so the pathologists and personnel at autopsy are of highest importance, because they have an elevated risk of infection while working in close contact with diseased animals.…”

“…Therefore, M. tuberculosis infection in dogs may be termed an 'anthropozoonosis' [5]. There are a limited number of reports of sporadic M. tuberculosis cases in dogs, and in all of them the most likely source of infection was a human companion [6][7][8][9][10][11]. In these cases the infected organs varied between lungs, lymph nodes, intestine, liver, kidneys, spleen and heart, and the disease was most often disseminated.…”

Molecular epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Brazil before the whole genome sequencing era: a literature review

“…In the case of MIRU-VNTR data, some articles were excluded because they only contained information on M. tuberculosis var. bovis (n = 5); 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 no data on genotyping were available (n = 6); 49 , 66 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 incomplete information on genetic diversity (n = 3) 85 , 86 , 87 or genotyping data is mixed with samples from other countries (n = 3). 84 , 88 , 89 …”

Cost of care for hospitalized patients with pulmonary mycobacterial diseases in the United States.

“…38 A recent case study from Brazil described TB infection and mortality in a pet dog following the occurrence of TB in the household. 39 Another Brazilian case study noted disseminated disease in a 12-year-old pet dog diagnosed following the death of one the members of her household secondary to pulmonary TB. The dog in question was noted to have been in particularly close contact with the diseased, having been observed licking respiratory secretions during his illness.…”