Isolation and molecular characterization of Mycobacterium bovis causing pulmonary tuberculosis and epistaxis in a Thoroughbred horse

Hlokwe, T. M., Sutton, D. , Page, P. and Michel, A. L. (2016) Isolation and molecular characterization of Mycobacterium bovis causing pulmonary tuberculosis and epistaxis in a Thoroughbred horse. BMC Veterinary Research, 12, 179. (doi: 10.1186/s12917-016-0813-6) (PMID:27590011) (PMCID:PMC5010722)

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) is very uncommon in horses worldwide. Case presentation: In the current study, an eight-year-old male Thoroughbred in good body condition was admitted to the Equine Clinic at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital in 2005 due to bilateral epistaxis accompanied by coughing. Routine examinations were conducted to determine the cause of the condition. Endoscopic examination revealed the major source of the epistaxis as the trachea, whereas thoracic radiography indicated the presence of a primary pulmonary mass. M. bovis was isolated from a broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) sample collected. The pulmonary mass reduced in size three months later following an oral administration of enrofloxacin (7.5 mg/kg PO SID). Genetic fingerprinting by spoligotyping identified the M. bovis isolate as spoligotype SB0868 strain. This M. bovis strain type was never described previously in South Africa (SA). This is the first case of M. bovis infection in a horse in SA which has been fully documented including clinical findings, isolation and genetic characterisation of the causative pathogen. Conclusions: This report indicates that horses may contract and harbour M. bovis despite their lower susceptibility compared to other domestic animals. It also suggests that the infection may be more easily contained and eliminated from the host.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was funded by the ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute and Equine Clinic of the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Sutton, Professor David
• Authors: Hlokwe, T. M., Sutton, D., Page, P., and Michel, A. L.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: BMC Veterinary Research
• Publisher: BioMed Central
• ISSN: 1746-6148
• ISSN (Online): 1746-6148
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2016 The Authors
• First Published: First published in BMC Veterinary Research 12: 179
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License