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Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is an infectious disease of livestock and wildlife species that is caused by pathogenic members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex such as Mycobacterium bovis . Due to the introduction of M. bovis -infected bison in the 1920s, BTB is now endemic in wood bison ( Bison bison athabascae ) population within the Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) in northern Canada. This disease poses a grave threat to the long-term survival of this ecologically and culturally important species and has the potential to cause zoonotic TB and spill over to BTB-free livestock and other bison herds that live in the surrounding areas. Thus, effective BTB control strategies in WBNP bison are urgently needed. To this end, we aerosol challenged young bison with different doses of virulent M. bovis and observed disease-associated delayed-type hypersensitivity, gross lung and lymph node pathology and histopathology, as well as M. bovis burden in target organs, thus confirming the establishment of BTB in challenged animals. We then assessed the safety and efficacy of oral live BCG versus oral heat-inactivated M. bovis (HIMB) given in a homologous prime-boost regimen in bison. While both BCG and HIMB offered protection against BTB, BCG-treated bison thrived more, presented with fewer lung lesions at necropsy and lower burden of virulent M. bovis than HIMB-treated animals. Strikingly, oral HIMB induced almost no delayed-type hypersensitivity to intradermal tuberculin while oral live BCG induced very low sensitivity to tuberculin in bison, indicating their potential as DIVA (differentiating infected from vaccinated animals) vaccines for use in this important wildlife species.

Background Diversity and composition of microbial communities was compared across the 13 major sections of the digestive tract (esophagus, reticulum, rumen, omasum, abomasum, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, and rectum) in two captive populations of American bison ( Bison bison ), one of which was finished on forage, the other on grain. Results Microbial diversity fell to its lowest levels in the small intestine, with Bacteroidetes reaching their lowest relative abundance in that region, while Firmicutes and Euryarchaeota attained their highest relative abundances there. Gammaproteobacteria were most abundant in the esophagus, small intestine, and colon. The forage-finished bison population exhibited higher overall levels of diversity, as well as a higher relative abundance of Bacteroidetes in most gut sections. The grain-finished bison population exhibited elevated levels of Firmicutes and Gammaproteobacteria . Within each population, different sections of the digestive tract exhibited divergent microbial community composition, although it was essentially the same among sections within a given region of the digestive tract. Shannon diversity was lowest in the midgut. For each section of the digestive tract, the two bison populations differed significantly in microbial community composition. Conclusions Similarities among sections indicate that the esophagus, reticulum, rumen, omasum, and abomasum may all be considered to house the foregut microbiota; the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum may all be considered to house the small intestine or midgut microbiota; and the cecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, and rectum may all be considered to house the hindgut microbiota. Acid from the stomach, bile from the gall bladder, digestive enzymes from the pancreas, and the relatively low retention time of the small intestine may have caused the midgut’s low microbial diversity. Differences in microbial community composition between populations may have been most strongly influenced by differences in diet (forage or grain). The clinical condition of the animals used in the present study was not evaluated, so further research is needed to establish whether the microbial profiles of some bison in this study are indeed indicative of dysbiosis, a predisposing factor to ruminal acidosis and its sequelae.

The European bison ( Bison bonasus ), also called wisent, is the largest terrestrial mammal in Europe, classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a “Near Threatened” species. Tuberculosis (TB) represents a well-known threat to wisent, especially nowadays when infectious diseases are emerging to this species, due to locally high population density and frequent translocation (and consequently increased exposure to infectious diseases). There is an urgent need to control the TB-epidemiological situation in the European bison environment. This study aimed to assess the usefulness of the sponge-based environmental-DNA (eDNA) for monitoring TB in free-ranging and captive European bison herds based on the knowledge of the TB-epidemiological situation in the past. Between 2022 and 2024, eDNA samples ( n  = 84) were collected from European bison or their environment in eight herds from different regions of Poland. The real-time PCR techniques with IS 6110 , IS 1081 , and MPB70 as targets were used to detect MTC DNA markers in the samples. The MTC DNA IS 6110 and IS 1081 were simultaneously detected in 17/84 (20.2%) samples. No sample was positive for MPB70. The highest number of positive results for both markers (IS 6110 and IS 10081 targets) was in the captive herd in Bieszczady-Muczne, followed by the free-ranging herd in the nearby Bieszczady Mountains. Even though detecting nucleic acid, especially at low eDNA signal, does not necessarily indicate viable pathogens, our results suggest this new approach could represent a suitable complementary tool for TBC surveillance in wildlife-livestock interface of particular interest in endangered species.

Background European bison, Bison bonasus , is a strictly protected species of large mammal, with 25% of the world’s population living in Poland. The most numerous populations of European bison live in the Białowieża Primeval Forest, northeastern Poland, and in the Bieszczady Mountains, southeastern Poland. The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence of Anaplasma spp. in B. bonasus from Poland. Methods Tissue samples were collected from 45 European bisons between 2021 and 2024 in the Białowieża and Bieszczady areas. Two genetic markers, 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and msp4 , were used for the detection, genotyping, and phylogenetic analysis of bacteria from the genus Anaplasma . Results The prevalence of Anaplasma spp. was 40% (18/45) in the examined samples. Anaplasma phagocytophilum was detected in 10 samples, and eight samples were found to be positive for the presence of Anaplasma marginale DNA. Conclusions This study is the first report of A. marginale occurrence in Poland and the first report of A. marginale occurrence in B. bonasus in Europe. Infection by the pathogenic A. marginale in strictly protected species such as the European bison may have an impact on the health, ecology, and conservation of this endangered species. Graphical abstract

A newly-discovered foot disease of unknown origin in captive European Bison ( Bison bonasus ) was recently detected at Berne Animal Park. Dermatitis of the interdigital cleft of varying degrees of severity was diagnosed in all animals ( n = 10). The aim of this study was to describe the gross and histological lesions of the interdigital cleft found in 10 captive European bison and to identify involved potential pathogens in affected feet using molecular-based methods for Treponema spp., Dichelobacter nodosus and Fusobacterium necrophorum . Lesions were scored according to the degree of gross pathology at limb level. In a single animal, the gross lesions were restricted to focal lesions on the dorsal aspect of the digital skin of each foot (score 1), whereas all other animals showed at least one foot with extended lesions including the interdigital cleft (score 2). The presence of viable spirochaetes was observed in all animals using dark field microscopy. Applying fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) on biopsies, Treponema spp. were identified, infiltrating the skin lesions in varying numbers in nine animals. Nested PCRs for Treponema medium , Treponema phagedenis and Treponema pedis of swab samples showed three positive animals out of ten for the latter two, whereas pooled biopsy samples were positive in all ten animals for at least T . phagedenis (9/10) and/or T . pedis (7/10), while all samples were negative for T . medium . However, none of these Treponema species could be isolated and sequence analysis of the amplified products showed 100% match of 365 base pairs (bp) to Treponema phylotype PT3 and almost full match (530 of 532 bp, 99.6%) to Treponema phylotype PT13. The presence of T . phagedenis , PT3 and PT13 phylotypes was confirmed by FISH analyses. The phylotypes of T . phagedenis were present in all hybridized positive biopsies of Treponema spp., and PT13 and PT3 were less abundant. Neither D . nodosus nor F . necrophorum were detected. The histological Treponema score was mostly mild. Digital dermatitis in captive European Bison is contagious and differs from bovine digital dermatitis, concerning associated pathogens as well as gross appearance.

Background The majority of animal tuberculosis (TB) cases reported in wildlife in Poland over the past 20 years have concerned the European bison inhabiting the Bieszczady Mountains in Southeast Poland: an area running along the border of Southeast Poland. As no TB cases have been reported in domestic animals in this region since 2005, any occurrence of TB in the free-living animals inhabiting this area might pose a real threat to local livestock and result in the loss of disease-free status. The aim of the study was to describe the occurrence of tuberculosis in the wildlife of the Bieszczady Mountains and determine the microbiological and molecular characteristics of any cultured strains. Lymph node samples were collected for analysis from 274 free-living animals, including European bison, red foxes, badgers, red deer, wild boar and roe deer between 2011 and 2017. Löwenstein–Jensen and Stonebrink media were used for culture. Molecular identification of strains was performed based on hsp65 sequence analysis, the GenoType®MTBC (Hain Lifescience, Germany ) test, spoligotyping and MIRU-VNTR analysis. Results Mycobacterium caprae was isolated from the lymph nodes of 21 out of 55 wild boar (38.2%; CI 95%: 26.5%, 51.4%) and one roe deer. Since 2014, no new TB cases have been reported in the Bieszczady European bison population. Conclusions The identification of TB in wild boar in the Bieszczady is an alarming phenomenon, which requires further investigation. The Bieszczady mountains are a precious, unique area, home to many protected species. However, it is also the only area in Poland where TB cases have been reported in free-living animals. The occurrence of TB in wild boar inhabiting this area might pose a real threat to local livestock and many of the protected species (for example European bison that can share feeding places with wild boar). Given this situation, ongoing monitoring of the prevalence of TB should be conducted, and protective measures should be considered.

Regulatory programs for brucellosis in domestic livestock have been active in the U.S. for almost 80 years. Wildlife reservoirs of brucellosis include bison ( Bison bison) and elk ( Cervus elaphus nelsonii) for Brucella abortus whereas Brucella suis is the predominant species infecting feral swine. The persistence of brucellosis in wildlife reservoirs poses a risk for reintroduction of Brucella into domestic livestock. Reducing the prevalence of brucellosis in wildlife reservoirs is anticipated to be complicated and costly, and the problem is unlikely to be quickly resolved. Although some tools are currently available for use in the wildlife reservoirs, development of new vaccines, diagnostics, and management procedures will most likely be needed for effective control of brucellosis.

Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is a dangerous zoonosis which presents a serious problem for endangered species such as European bison (Bison bonasus). Little is known about the influence of parasitic co-infections on the course and diagnosis of tuberculosis in animals. The best known co-infection in cattle is Fasciola hepatica and Mycobacterium bovis. The aim of this study was to review the most recent literature regarding tuberculosis and parasite co-infection in ungulates and relate the results to European bison. Our findings indicate that any comprehensive diagnosis of BTB should include parasitological monitoring, and the possible impact of such invasions on cellular response-based tuberculosis tests should be taken into account. The diagnosis of BTB is complex, as is its pathogenesis, and parasitic infestations can have a significant impact on both. This should be taken into account during further research and monitoring of tuberculosis in European bison.

This paper reports the use of molecular methods to characterize the coprophilous fungal communities (CFC) that inhabit the dung of four species of mammalian herbivores at two sites, Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) in New Mexico and Wind Cave National Park (WCNP) in South Dakota. Results reveal that CFC from domesticated cattle (Bos taurus) at SNWR, and bison (Bison bison) and black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) at WCNP were diverse but dominated primarily by members within eight taxonomic orders, including the rarely cultured and anaerobic order Neocallimastigales. In addition, 7.7% (138 of 1,788) of the sequences obtained from all dung samples were at least 97% similar to root-associated fungal (RAF) sequences previously described from blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), a common forage grass found throughout North America and growing at both study sites. In contrast, 95.8% (295 of 308) of the sequences and four of the total seven operational taxonomic units obtained from pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra americana) dung belonged to the Pleosporalean order. We hypothesize that some herbivore vectors disperse non-systemic (non-clavicipitaceous) fungal endophytes. These dispersal events, it is argued, are most likely to occur via herbivores that occasionally forage and masticate root tissue, especially in arid regions where aboveground vegetation is sparse. The results of this study suggest that some (possibly many) members of the RAF community can expand their ecological role to include colonizing dung.

Poland has been an officially bovine tuberculosis (bTB) free country for the last seven years. The problem currently observed is the increasing number of new cases of bTB in wild species, kept in a farmed herd and free-living herd: European bison (Bison bonasus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), wolves (Canis lupus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus). This article presents the case of Mycobacterium caprae transmission to an American bison (Bison bison) herd kept on a private farm in Eastern Poland.