Experimental infection of goats with Mycobacterium microti induces subclinical pulmonary tuberculosis and mild responses to tuberculin skin tests
Author
Melgarejo, Cristian
Domingo, Mariano
Moll, Xavier
Sevilla, Iker A.
Garrido, Joseba M.
Michelet, Lorraine
Boschiroli, Maria Laura
Publication date
2024-01-22ISSN
0378-1135
Abstract
Mycobacterium microti is a member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex that seldom causes disease in
livestock and humans. This study evaluated the effects on immunodiagnosis and the pathological findings in
goats after experimental exposure by different routes and doses to M. microti. In a first experiment goats were
challenged orally (PO, n = 7) or intranasally (IN, n = 7) with 104 CFU. In a second experiment, the endobronchial
route was assessed, with a low dose of 102 CFU (EB-LD, n = 7) and a high dose of 105 CFU (EB-HD, n = 7) as well
as the subcutaneous route (SC, n = 5). Temperature, body weight, clinical signs and immunological responses
were monitored. Pathological evaluation was carried out and samples were processed for mycobacterial
detection.
Results: demonstrated the induction of a subclinical pulmonary infection in all the EB-HD challenged animals.
Infection was also confirmed in one animal of the SC group, but not in the EB-LD, PO or IN groups. Two animals
belonging to the EB-HD and SC groups, respectively, showed positive results to the single intradermal tuberculin
test, and another two animals of the EB-HD and EB-LD groups showed doubtful (inconclusive) results, indicating
that M. microti can induce mild responses to tuberculin skin testing. No positive results were observed when
defined antigens absent in M. microti (ESAT-6 and CPF-10) were used.
Our results indicate that animals exposed to M. microti can yield positive results to the skin tests currently
performed in livestock tuberculosis eradication campaigns and reinforce the need to use specific antigens in
antemortem tests to avoid interference with M. bovis/M. caprae diagnosis.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Published version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
619 - Veterinary science
Pages
6
Publisher
Elsevier
Is part of
Veterinary Microbiology
Citation
Melgarejo, Cristián, Àlex Cobos, Mariano Domingo, Guillermo Cantero, Xavier Moll, Iker A. Sevilla, Joseba M. Garrido, et al. 2024. “Experimental Infection of Goats with Mycobacterium Microti Induces Subclinical Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Mild Responses to Tuberculin Skin Tests.” Veterinary Microbiology 290: 110009. doi: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2024.110009.
Grant agreement number
MICIU/Programa Estatal de generación del conocimiento y fortalecimiento científico y tecnológico del sistema I+D+I y Programa Estatal de I+D+I orientada a los retos de la sociedad/PID2019-105155RB-C32/ES/NUEVAS ESTRATEGIAS DE INMUNIZACION Y HERRAMIENTAS DE DIAGNOSTICO PARA EL CONTROL DE LA TUBERCULOSIS CAPRINA/
EC/INTERREG-POCTEFA/EFA357-19/EU/Red de investigación y desarrollo de herramientas innovadoras para el control de la tuberculosis animal/INNOTUB
FEDER/ / /EU/ /
Program
Sanitat Animal
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
- ARTICLES CIENTÍFICS [2555]
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