Public health implications of exotic pet mycobacteriosis

Abstract

The most common species of mycobacteria occurring in avian and exotic pet animals are as follows: Mycobacterium genavense and M avium-complex (MAC) in birds; MAC, M marinum, M chelonae, M fortuitum, M smegmatis , and M phlei in reptiles; M tuberculosis in nonhuman primates; and M fortuitum, M xenopi and M marinum in amphibians. Spontaneous mycobacteriosis in rabbits, gerbils, mice, hamsters, and guinea pigs is very rare and not associated with a specific mycobacterial species. M tuberculosis or M bovis , both known as zoonotic agents, play no important role in exotic pets. The public health significance of the other mycobacteria remains to be elucidated. Newly developed laboratory techniques such as media for fastidious mycobacteria, gene probes, and nucleic acid amplification methods will allow the identification and closer characterization of agents found in this group of animals.