DETECTION OF RDRIO STRAIN OF MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS IN TAPIRS (TAPIRUS TERRESTRIS) FROM A ZOO IN BRAZIL

Tuberculosis is a chronic infection caused by strains of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and occurs in both animal and human populations. The death of a tapir showing purulent material and a hard mass in the lungs at necropsy raised suspicion of a potential disease caused by mycobacteria spec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine 2012-12, Vol.43 (4), p.872-875
Main Authors: Murakami, Patrícia Sayuri, Monego, Fernanda, Ho, John L, Gibson, Andrea, Javorouski, Manoel Lucas, Bonat, Marcelo, Lacerda, Oneida, Brockelt, Sonia Regina, Biesdorf, Sonia Maria, Nakatani, Sueli Massumi, Riediger, Irina Nastassja, Fuverki, Renata Benício Neves, Biava, Janaína Socolovski, Vieira, Rafael Felipe Costa, Santos, Andrea Pires do, de Barros Filho, Ivan Roque, Biondo, Alexander Welker
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Autopsy
CASE SERIES/REPORTS
Chronic infection
diagnosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
PCR
Polymerase chain reaction
RDRio strain
Skin tests
tapirs
Tapirus terrestris
Tuberculin
Tuberculosis
Wildlife
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Summary:Tuberculosis is a chronic infection caused by strains of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and occurs in both animal and human populations. The death of a tapir showing purulent material and a hard mass in the lungs at necropsy raised suspicion of a potential disease caused by mycobacteria species in a Brazilian zoo. Later, two other tapirs with similar signs died and were further investigated. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from bronco-alveolar lavages was performed, and both animals tested positive for the RDRio strain of M. tuberculosis, which is a recently discovered Latin American–Mediterranean sublineage and the main cause of human tuberculosis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To investigate the possibility of human infection and the source of transmission, all 50 zoo employees underwent tuberculin skin testing; four were reactive, but radiographic exams and direct sample staining did not suggest tuberculosis. Thus, direct human to animal transmission was not proven. However, the presence of RDRioM. tuberculosis in tapirs highlights the lack of attention to diseases that human beings may transmit to wildlife.
ISSN:1042-7260
1937-2825
DOI:10.1638/2010-0108R.1