Abstract
BackgroundAnimal tuberculosis (TB) is distributed worldwide and has a wide range of wild and domestic reservoirs. Few studies concerning TB in camelids have been published in the last decade, particularly as regards Old World Camelids (OWC), but the increase in reports of TB outbreaks in these species in recent years suggests a high susceptibility to the infection.Case presentationWe studied a dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) herd (n = 24) in which a Mycobacterium caprae infection was detected. The TB infection was confirmed in one animal at necropsy through the detection of TB lesions, mainly in the abdominal organs, and the subsequent isolation of M. caprae (SB0157 spoligotype). The whole herd was additionally tested using cellular and humoral based diagnostic techniques. The intradermal tuberculin test results were compared with those obtained using P22 ELISA for the detection of specific antibodies against the M. tuberculosis complex. The TB infected animal was a positive reactor to both the intradermal tuberculin tests and P22 ELISA, while the others were negative to all the diagnostic tests.ConclusionThe present study found M. caprae infection in OWC. This is the first report of M. caprae infection in an OWC not living in a zoo. Since the animal was born in the herd and fed with goat’s milk, this practice was suspected to be the potential source of TB infection, which was not confirmed in the other animals present in the herd. Moreover, our results highlight that the intradermal tuberculin test and the P22 ELISA could be valuable tools for the diagnosis of TB in OWC.
Highlights
Animal tuberculosis (TB) is distributed worldwide and has a wide range of wild and domestic reservoirs
Most of the outbreaks previously reported were caused by M. bovis, potentially owing to the fact that the Old World Camelids (OWC) had been imported from endemic TB regions [8, 9] or had come into contact with infected cattle [9, 10]
Results by testing events December 2016 In the first testing event, all the animals were subjected to single intradermal tuberculin (SIT) tests and only one (Animal 1) was a positive reactor (Table 1), with an increase in skin fold thickness of 6 mm at the bPPD injection site
Summary
Animal tuberculosis (TB) is distributed worldwide and has a wide range of wild and domestic reservoirs. Camelids (SAC) (llama, alpaca and vicuna) and Old World Camelids (OWC) (Bactrian camel and dromedary) [2,3,4,5,6]. Another member of the MTBC, M. microti, has been described as a causative agent of camel TB [6]. There are many potential sources of infection for OWC, and transmission may occur through contact with infected livestock or wild animals [8] These animals may come into regular contact with humans and other susceptible species, since they are used for touristic camel rides in certain countries and they are present in zoos and farm-schools. A recent study in Iran identified camels as one of the most important sources of infections and diseases for humans [12]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
