Explore the vast range of titles available.

The nontuberculosis mycobacteria Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) are able to cause human mycobacteriosis. In this work, results of the first comprehensive study of the genome polymorphism of the clinical strains of MAH are reported for Russia using a typing scheme of 13 MATR VNTR loci (TR292, TRX3, TR25, TR47, MATR-1, MATR-4, MATR-5, MATR-6, MATR-8, MATR-11, MATR-14, MATR-15, MATR-16) containing tandem nucleotide sites and IS1245 RFLP typing sites. Ninety MAH strains isolated from patients with epidemiologically unconnected lung mycobacteriosis (including HIV-positive ones) were tested in 2008-2011. The heterogeneity of the MAH strains in accordance with 36 profiles of 13 MATR VNTR loci was observed. The majority of the strains (68.8%) were in eight MATR VNTR clusters; the biggest cluster contained 37 strains with the 13-bit numerical profile 2222223145443′. The nucleotide sequence of the MATR-16 (3′) locus contains an extensive deletion (GenBank accession no. KF479191). The MAH strains of the MATR VNTR clusters were found to be heterogeneous by the IS1245 marker. The MATR VNTR typing method by 13 loci is recommended for preliminary differentiation of domestic MAH strains with further analysis of the MATR VNTR clusters using the IS1245 RFLP typing method.

This report describes new possibilities for intravital and post mortem diagnosis of avian mycobacteriosis in horses using the quantitative real time PCR (qPCR) method. Using this method, Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis was diagnosed in two sibling Fjord horses. In the first horse, M. a. hominissuis was detected by qPCR in numbers of 2.89 x 10**5 and 1.47 x 10**4 cells per 1 g of intestinal content and mesenteric lymph nodes, respectively; in the second horse, faeces and mesenteric lymph node samples showed numbers of 6.31 x 10**5 and 3.36 x 10**6 cells per 1 g of tissue, respectively. Another aim of this study was to comprehensively describe clinical and pathological findings in both animals.

Mycobacterial infections are rarely diagnosed in horses. Nevertheless, it was possible to obtain noteworthy information on diagnosis, manifold clinical signs and epidemiological relationships from available literature. It has been more than 60 years since a review dealing with this topic was published. Based on literature analysis, it was found that after bovine tuberculosis control in cattle and other animals in Central Europe, Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) members were the most commonly found causal agents of mycobacterial infections in horses. At present, mycobacterial infections caused both by M. tuberculosis complex and MAC are occasionally diagnosed in horses inCentral Europe. Finally, under certain conditions, horses may become a source of mycobacterial infections for other animal species or for immunocompromised humans

The first aim of this work was to compare the efficiency of different diagnostic methods that are routinely used to diagnose avian tuberculosis (ATBC, skin test, serology and culture of faeces and eggs) in naturally infected hens with different levels of infection. The second aim was to determine the excretion rate of MAA in faeces and eggs. Eighteen naturally infected hens from a flock of 64 hens were selected. The tuberculin skin test gave a positive result in nine infected hens of which four and one were heavily and slightly infected, respectively. A positive serological response to MAA-b antigen (water bird isolate of serotype 1) was observed in five and to MAA-p antigen (pig isolate serotype 2) in seven hens. No correlation between serological and skin-test data was found. The results show that both techniques, serological and skin-test data, are inadequate for the diagnosis of ATBC. In euthanized hens with heavy infection and tuberculous lesions serological positivity was significant in comparison with slightly infected hens lacking tuberculous lesions. Faecal culture detected MAA in 50 out of 168 samples collected for eight days before euthanasia. MAA excretion in faeces was intermittent, but significantly higher in heavily infected hens. No mycobacteria were detected in any of the 43 examined eggs, which implies that the shedding of MAA and/or transmission of ATBC through eggs may not be frequent.

Human clinical isolates of the Mycobacterium avium complex, from hospitals in Bogotá, were studied using a wide range of molecular tests including PCR restriction-enzyme analysis (PRA) of the hsp65 gene. Up to 21 of the isolates were identified as M. avium PRA variant III (Mav III), a variant obtained only from isolates on the American continent. In contrast to previous reports, restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis using IS1245 and IS1311 showed a single copy for each insertion sequence (IS) in the majority (19/21) of the Colombian Mav III isolates under study. In order to analyse whether the ISs were inserted in a relevant genomic region, experimental conditions were established to determine the insertion loci of each single copy of both ISs in the genome. Analysis of genomic insertion loci indicated that both IS1245 and IS1311 were present in areas containing putatively truncated integrases and/or transposases, which may have an influence on the mobility of the inserted IS. In addition, a conserved genomic region was identified for the insertion of IS1311; this region could be part of the IS1311 itself.

Between 1996 and 2004, tissue samples from 3,630 slaughtered pigs were examined by gross examination, microscopy after the Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining of homogenised tissues for the detection of acid-fast rods (AFR) and by culture for the presence of mycobacteria and Rhodococcus equi. Tuberculous/tuberculoid lesions were not detected in 6.9% animals slaughtered due to a positive response to avian tuberculin. Various gross lesions were detected in 93.1% animals as follows: adenopathy in 4.1%, tuberculous lesions with caseation in 55.8% and tuberculous lesions with calcification in 33.2% of them. AFR were found in tissues from 56.4% animals. Mycobacteria were isolated from the tissues of 15.8% out of 1,852 animals without detected AFR and from the tissues of 72.5% out of 1,778 animals with detected AFR. Out of 1,579 mycobacterial isolates 94.6% were classified as M. avium complex members as follows: 29.7% M. a. avium and 56.4% M. a. hominissuis. Some of the isolates were members of other mycobacterial species (M. chelonae, M. smegmatis, M. xenopi, M. terrae, M. aurum, M. scrofulaceum, and M. fortuitum). By examination of ZN stained homogenised tissues, AFR were detected significantly more frequently in samples from animals with caseated and/or calcified tuberculous lesions than in tissues from animals without tuberculous lesions.

We assessed the survival of Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis (MAH) in artificially contaminated homemade smoked sausages prepared from pork meat according to traditional recipes. The effect of storage of such sausages at -20 deg C for three months on MAH viability was also determined. MAH viability/presence was assessed by culture and qPCR. Three isolates of MAH were inoculated into the sausage mixture at concentrations of 10**6 CFU per gram of meat and cold smoked at 40 deg C for 12 h or hot smoked at 70 deg C for 6 hours. MAH survived the cold smoking procedure without any significant decrease in viable MAH CFU counts; no viable MAH were detected in the hot smoked sausages. The storage of sausages at -20 deg C caused a decrease in viable MAH counts of about 1 to 3 log10. Absolute MAH counts determined by qPCR were not significantly reduced by storage or smoking.

Between 1997 and 2003, positive and dubious responses to avian tuberculin were detected in 4 and 72 pigs, respectively, in a breeding herd of 90 sows and 2 boars. Pigs were examined using the agglutination test for the presence of serum antibodies against corpuscular antigens prepared from various Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) members: M. a. avium (MAA) of serotype 2, M. a. hominissuis (MAH) of serotype 8 and M. intracellulare (MI) of serotype 19. Positive skin responses were found in animals with antibodies against MAH (23.7%), MAA (4.0%) and MI (11.8%) antigens. By serological examination of 17 sows with repeated dubious responses for tuberculin skin testing with avian tuberculin, no antibodies against MAA were detected; MAH antibodies and MI antibodies were found in eight and two animals, respectively. No tuberculous/tuberculoid lesions were detected by postmortem examination of lymph nodes (ln) and organ samples from all 76 animals with responses to avian tuberculin. Culture examination of ln and organs from 13 animals revealed conditionally pathogenic mycobacteria (CPM) in one boar. These isolates were identified as MAH and CPM by the PCR method and biochemically. Investigation of the external environment (205 samples) revealed 16.3% CPM isolates as follows: 13 MAH, 8 M. fortuitum, one M. nonchromogenicum, one M. abscessus, one M. scrofulaceum and 9 unidentified isolates which were non-MAC according to the PCR examination. Animal hygiene measures adopted since 2002 resulted in a decrease of environmental contamination with CPM and a reduction in the number of animals with positive responses to avian tuberculin.

The aim of the present study was to analyse the results of tuberculin testing and postmortem diagnoses of bovine tuberculosis in cattle between 1990 and 1999. From 1991 to 1999 a total of 1,457 (0.01 %) animals reacted positively with bovine tuberculin and 1,790 (0.29 %) with avian tuberculin. Mycobacteria were isolated from the organs of 561 out of 3,202 culturally examined animals. M. bovis was isolated from 8 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 animals and strains of serotypes 4 to 6, 8 to 11, 21, and of genotypes IS901- and IS1245+ were isolated from 132 animals. Potentially pathogenic bacteria of the M. chelonae, M. terrae, M. phlei, and M. fortuitum species were isolated from 50 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.

Bovine tuberculosis was last detected in cattle and pigs in the CzechRepublicin 1995. Since March, 31, 2004(Commission Decision No. 2004/320/EC) the Czech Republichas been included amongst states free from bovine tuberculosis within the European Union. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate results of intravital and post-mortem diagnosis of mycobacterial infections in slaughtered cattle and pigs from 2000 to 2004. When bovine tuberculosis in cattle was investigated, a tuberculin skin test with bovine tuberculin was performed every year and a skin test with avian tuberculin was simultaneously conducted in the animals with a positive response. A total of 2 419 889 animals were examined with a positive response being found in 123 (0.005%) of them. After slaughter, bovine tuberculosis was not detected in any of these animals by gross and/or laboratory examinations. With avian tuberculin, 40 349 animals were tested and positive responses were detected in 43 (0.1%) of them; the incidence was similar in all the years monitored. Tuberculous lesions were detected in 209 (0.01%) of 1 967 211 slaughtered cattle. Mycobacteria were present in 40 (21.3%) of 188 animals examined by laboratory methods: 26 isolates of Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium (18 isolates of serotype 2 and 8 isolates not typeable), 11 isolates of M. a. hominissuis (1 isolate of serotype 8 and 10 isolates not typeable), and 3 isolates of atypical mycobacteria. Tuberculous lesions were detected in 49 312 (0.22%) of 22 312 580 slaughtered pigs by veterinary-meat inspection. During the 5-year-period monitored, the incidence of tuberculous lesions decreased from 0.37% in 2000 to 0.10% in 2004. The following mycobacteria were isolated from 757 (33.5%) of 2 261 animals whose organs were examined by culture: 203 isolates of M. a. avium (180 isolates of serotype 2, 3 isolates of serotype 2/8, and 20 isolates not typeable), 442 isolates of M. a. hominissuis (1 isolate of serotype 1, 262 isolates of serotype 8, 35 isolates of serotype 9, 1 isolates of mixed serotypes 8/9, and 143 isolates not typeable), and atypical mycobacteria (n = 112). In both animal species, M. avium complex members prevailed: M. a. avium was the most prevalent subspecies in cattle, M. a. hominissuis in pigs. The main sources of M. a. avium and M. a. hominissuis are free living birds and contaminated external and stable environments (i.e. drinking water, feeds, and feed supplements), respectively. During the entire period monitored, miliary or generalized tuberculosis was not detected in any of the animals. The decreased incidence of tuberculous lesions in pigs was particularly a result of preventive measures adopted to control the occurrence of atypical mycobacteria.