Distribution of non-tuberculosis mycobacteria in environmental samples from a slaughterhouse and in raw and processed meats

Abstract

The notification of all cases of diagnosed bovine tuberculosis is a statutory requirement, while the same is not true for other mycobacterial infections. Thus, the establishment of the true incidence of infection with non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) is difficult. The aim of this study was to describe the incidence of NTM in environmental samples from a pig slaughterhouse and from raw and processed meat samples collected from supermarkets and butchers. Three species of mycobacteria (<i>M. chelonae</i>, <i>M. kansasii</i>, and <i>M. intermedium</i>) were detected in 8.0% of the environmental samples from a pig slaughterhouse and in 9.3% of raw and 7.7% of processed meat, respectively. The isolation of a single NTM species from these samples is a disturbing finding and means that raw meat may be a potential pathway for the transmission of NTM infections to humans.