Abstract
BackgroundWe describe the diversity of two kinds of mycobacteria isolates, environmental mycobacteria and Mycobacterium bovis collected from wild boar, fallow deer, red deer and cattle in Doñana National Park (DNP, Spain), analyzing their association with temporal, spatial and environmental factors.ResultsHigh diversity of environmental mycobacteria species and M. bovis typing patterns (TPs) were found. When assessing the factors underlying the presence of the most common types of both environmental mycobacteria and M. bovis TPs in DNP, we evidenced (i) host species differences in the occurrence, (ii) spatial structuration and (iii) differences in the degree of spatial association of specific types between host species. Co-infection of a single host by two M. bovis TPs occurred in all three wild ungulate species. In wild boar and red deer, isolation of one group of mycobacteria occurred more frequently in individuals not infected by the other group. While only three TPs were detected in wildlife between 1998 and 2003, up to 8 different ones were found during 2006-2007. The opposite was observed in cattle. Belonging to an M. bovis-infected social group was a significant risk factor for mycobacterial infection in red deer and wild boar, but not for fallow deer. M. bovis TPs were usually found closer to water marshland than MOTT.ConclusionsThe diversity of mycobacteria described herein is indicative of multiple introduction events and a complex multi-host and multi-pathogen epidemiology in DNP. Significant changes in the mycobacterial isolate community may have taken place, even in a short time period (1998 to 2007). Aspects of host social organization should be taken into account in wildlife epidemiology. Wildlife in DNP is frequently exposed to different species of non-tuberculous, environmental mycobacteria, which could interact with the immune response to pathogenic mycobacteria, although the effects are unknown. This research highlights the suitability of molecular typing for surveys at small spatial and temporal scales.
Highlights
We describe the diversity of two kinds of mycobacteria isolates, environmental mycobacteria and Mycobacterium bovis collected from wild boar, fallow deer, red deer and cattle in Doñana National Park (DNP, Spain), analyzing their association with temporal, spatial and environmental factors
M. bovis typing patterns (TPs) and Mycobacteria Other Than Tuberculosis (MOTT) species were isolated from wild boar (n = 82 isolates), red deer (n = 33 isolates), and fallow deer (n = 39 isolates)
The diversity of mycobacteria described is indicative of multiple introduction events and a complex multi-host and multi-pathogen epidemiology in DNP
Summary
We describe the diversity of two kinds of mycobacteria isolates, environmental mycobacteria and Mycobacterium bovis collected from wild boar, fallow deer, red deer and cattle in Doñana National Park (DNP, Spain), analyzing their association with temporal, spatial and environmental factors. Molecular epidemiology integrates conventional epidemiological approaches with molecular techniques to track specific strains of pathogens in order to understand the distribution of pathogens in populations and environments [2]. This can be used to elucidate inter- and intra-specific transmission pathways and environmental risk factors, from individual to population, and from local to broader spatial scales. Over 30 of these can cause disease in livestock, wildlife and humans, occurring worldwide. Mycobacterial diseases such as bovine tuberculosis (bTB) have become a major sanitary and conservation problem even in relatively unmanaged natural areas across the world. Most data derive from large scale studies [e. g. [3,13,14,15,16,17,18]], while detailed information at small spatial scales is still very scarce
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