Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess whether animal tuberculosis (TB) is transmitted between free-living European bison (Bison bonasus caucasicus), wild boars (Sus scrofa), and protected carnivores such as grey wolves (Canis lupus), brown bears (Ursus arctos), and Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in the Bieszczady Mountains in Southern Poland. Results of animal studies suggest that TB transmission from bison or wild boars to grey wolves is possible. These are the first described cases where Mycobacterium caprae was detected in samples collected from grey wolves.
Highlights
Over the last 20 years, in Poland, most cases of animal tuberculosis (TB) have been identified in the BieszczadyMountains (Podkarpackie Voivodeship)
The aim of this study was to assess whether TB is transmitted between free-living animals, i.e., European bison and wild boar, and protected carnivores such as grey wolf, brown bear, and Eurasian lynx in the Bieszczady Mountains in Poland
Mycobacterium caprae was detected in material collected from three dead wolves in the Bieszczady County: a fouryear-old male found near Lutowiska (49° 15′ 03.8′′ N 22° 41′ 43.5′′ E), a two-year-old female found near Rabe (49° 21′ 38.7′′ N 22° 40′ 12.5′′ E), and a four-year-old male found near Dwernik (49° 12′ 39.4′′ N 22° 37′ 37.1′′ E), which are marked as wolves number 5, 8, and 9, respectively (Table 1)
Summary
Over the last 20 years, in Poland, most cases of animal tuberculosis (TB) have been identified in the Bieszczady. In this region, TB (mainly Mycobacterium caprae) was found in European bison (Bison bonasus caucasicus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa). Over the period 1996–2000 and 2010–2013, there were 14 and 31 TB cases detected in European bison, respectively, (the population of European bison in the Bieszczady mountains was estimated at 256 individuals in 2013) (Krajewska et al 2015c). The first case of TB was found in 2013. According to the Voivodeship Veterinary Inspectorate, TB has not been reported in domestic animals in the Bieszczady Mountains in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship since 2005. In the Bieszczady County, cattle are screened for TB once a year
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