Abstract
Copyright: © 2012 Muwonge A. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The importance of infections caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in animals and humans has gained considerable recognition during the past few years. Unlike the members of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) that are highly pathogenic, majority of the NTM have been regarded as non-pathogenic. This opinion is now changing as more NTM are associated with disease [1]. Mycobacterium avium subspecies avium and hominisuis belong to a much wider group of non tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) called mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) [2]. This group is reported to be the most frequently encountered form of NTM in the Western world. Its members have a wide range of sources including water, soil, animal beddings, domestic and wild animals [3-5]. At the beginning of the AIDS pandemic, Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) were reported as emerging pathogens responsible for opportunistic infections, found in most HIV/AIDS infected patients, especially those with CD4 cell counts B/100/ml [6]. Currently, it is estimated that 50% of the AIDS patients are likely to develop MAC complex, predominately M. avium if their CD4 count is below 50 [2]. The other species documented to cause opportunistic human infections are ; Mycobacterium avium, M. intracellulare, M. kansasii, M.paratuberculosis, M. scrofulaceum, M. simiae, M. habana, M. interjectum, M. xenopi, M.heckeshornense, M. szulgai, M. fortuitum, M. immunogenum, M.chelonae, M. marinum, M.genavense, M. haemophilum, M. celatum, M. conspicuum, M. malmoense, M. ulcerans, M.smegmatis, M. wolinskyi, M. goodii, M. thermoresistible, M. neoaurum, M. vaccae, M.palustre, M.elephantis, M. bohemicam, M.conceptionenseand M. septicum [7-9]. It is however difficult to accurately describe the situation in Sub SaharanAfrica and other developing countries since most of the data on which these inferences are made comes from Europe or North America.
Highlights
The importance of infections caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in animals and humans has gained considerable recognition during the past few years
Swine tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease characterized by inflammatory reactions in various body parts but mostly in the digestive system
The following have been isolated from infected pigs; M. bohemicum, M. intracellulare, M. avium, M. hemophilum, M. malmose, M. szulgai, M. kansasii, M. scrofuleceum,M. tuberculosis, M.simiae, M. palustre, M. gordonae, M. terrae, M. xenopi and M. heckershornense [5,13]
Summary
The importance of infections caused by non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in animals and humans has gained considerable recognition during the past few years. Swine tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease characterized by inflammatory reactions in various body parts but mostly in the digestive system. The lesions are generally small foci 1 to 10mm in diameter which are unlikely to cause detectable clinical signs in the pigs. In additions cases may develop milliary lesions along the course of the lymphatic system especially if infected by M.avium complex.
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