Pulmonary infection due to the dassie bacillus ( Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex sp.) in a free-living dassie (rock hyrax— Procavia capensis ) from South Africa

• Published in: Tuberculosis (Edinburgh, Scotland) Scotland), 2008-01, Vol.88 (1), p.80-83
• Main Authors: Parsons, Sven, Smith, Sarah G.D, Martins, Quinton, Horsnell, William G.C, Gous, Tertius A, Streicher, Elizabeth M, Warren, Robin M, van Helden, Paul D, Gey van Pittius, Nicolaas C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Bacillus; Dassie; Dassie bacillus; Female; Granuloma - microbiology; Granuloma - veterinary; Hyrax; Hyraxes - microbiology; Infectious Disease; Lung - microbiology; Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - classification; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - isolation & purification; Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex; Pneumonia, Bacterial - microbiology; Pneumonia, Bacterial - veterinary; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - microbiology; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - veterinary; Procavia capensis; Pulmonary/Respiratory; South Africa; Spleen - microbiology; Spleen - pathology; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - microbiology; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - veterinary
• ISSN: 1472-9792; 1873-281X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tube.2007.08.012

Summary We report a case of extensive necrogranulomatous pneumonia due to infection with the dassie bacillus ( Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex sp.) in a free-living pregnant adult female dassie (rock hyrax— Procavia capensis ). A juvenile female dassie from the same colony also showed a focal lesion in the lungs suggestive of mycobacterial pneumonia. Our findings indicate the widespread occurrence of the dassie bacillus in free-living dassies and suggest very high infection rates in some populations. The introduction of South African dassies into novel environments should be considered in this light.