A case of bovine tuberculosis in pigs in Poland – a country free from the disease

Abstract

Introduction Bovine tuberculosis is a chronic contagious disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis or Mycobacterium caprae. Before widespread action conducted in Poland between 1959–1975 to combat bovine tuberculosis (BTB), about 40% of all tuberculosis cases in pigs was caused by the bovine bacillus. At the present time, correctly carried out, long-term control of cattle has resulted in cases of bovine tuberculosis in pigs and humans being extremely rare and sporadic. In pigs, tuberculosis is most often caught in a slaughterhouse during slaughter. Material and methods Samples came from pigs kept on the farm. Traditional bacteriological methods on solid media (Stonebrink, LJ with pyruvate) supported by the semi-automatic, liquid indicative culture method (MGIT) and PCR test were applied in targeted studies. The GenoType Mycobacterium MTBC and CM tests (Hain Lifescience, Germany) were used to additionally confirm that isolated strains classification was used. Results Strains of mycobacteria were isolated from all examined pigs. Mycobacterium bovis was determined by real time PCR and Hain Genotype methods. Conclusions In order to effectively fight against BTB, all animals on farms should be tested, regardless of species, while the milk of suspected cows should be utilized without being used for feed. It is important to adapt the current legal regulations to the current epidemiological situation.

Keywords

• eradication
• pigs
• bovine tuberculosis