Tuberculosis in cattle caused by IS901+ Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium ? a case report

Abstract

In a small cattle herd an eight-year-old cow showed a reaction to bovine tuberculin in two consecutive skin tests. The animal showing clinical signs related to tuberculosis was slaughtered for diagnostic purpose. The lungs were completely covered with disseminate tubercles of different sizes and the mediastinal lymph nodes were enlarged. Pneumonia granulomatosa tuberculosa and lymphadenitis hyperplastica chronica were diagnosed histologically. Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium of IS901+ and IS1245+ genotype was isolated from lungs and from the lymph node. Six weeks after the affected animal has been eliminated from the herd, the skin test in other animals on the farm was performed: single test with avian tuberculin in extensively reared poultry (n = 12), comparative test with bovine and avian tuberculin in cattle (n = 7). Concluding from the results of negative skin testing of other animals on the farm, it is very likely that the cow did not transmit M. a. avium into the environment.

Keywords

• mycobacteria
• lung?s tuberculosis
• slovenia