To estimate the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in the Alpine region, we studied the epidemiology of Mycobacterium caprae in wildlife during the 2009–2012 hunting seasons. Free-ranging red deer (Cervus elaphus) were a maintenance host in a hot-spot area, mainly located in Austria. Bovine tuberculosis has one of the broadest host ranges of any known zoonotic pathogens. In addition to cattle, bovine tuberculosis affects many wild animal populations in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and New Zealand. Under certain conditions, wildlife play a role as reservoir and source of infection for domestic animals. Mycobacterium caprae has been isolated from cattle, domestic goats, domestic pigs, red deer (Cervus elaphus), and wild boar. Evidence is increasing that M. caprae is emerging in free-ranging red deer and cattle in the Alps.
To estimate the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis (which is caused by M. bovis and M. caprae) in wildlife in the Alps, we investigated 1,655 hunted red deer of both sexes and different ages in Austria, Germany, Switzerland (including the Principality of Liechtenstein), and Italy. The deer were hunted specifically for the study by trained hunters. A sampling/hunting plan was calculated in advance that indicated the number of animals needed in each sampling region to calculate prevalence estimates; the number was based on the red deer density of a region. The numbers of animals killed and sampled during 3 consecutive hunting seasons (2009–10, 2010–11, and 2011–12) coordinated nearly perfectly with the sampling plan that had been developed for each sampling area.
After pathomorphologic examination of carcasses (from Germany, Austria, Italy, Swiss Tessin) or samples (from Swiss St. Gall, Swiss Grisons, and Liechtenstein), we conducted microbiological analysis from sample material. Sample material included both medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes and tracheobronchial, mediastinal, and mesenteric lymph nodes and any other tissue with macroscopically visible lesions. For bacteriologic cultivation the sample material was homogenized by using the IKA Ultra Turaxx Tube Drive System (Staufen, Germany), decontaminated with 1% N-acetyl-L-cystein solution and neutralized in phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) as recommended by the World Organisation for Animal Health. After sedimentation, inoculation was performed on 2 growth media: Stonebrink including PACT (polymyxin B, amphotericin B, carbenicillin, and trimethoprim) and Lowenstein-Jensen with glycerin and PACT (Heipha Diagnostika, Eppelheim, Germany). After 12 weeks’ incubation, a total of 82 bacterial cultures from 59 hunted red deer from Austria, Germany, and Italy were isolated. All isolates were identified as M. caprae whether by reversed line blotting (Geno Type MTBC, HAIN Lifescience, Nehren, Germany) or by restriction fragment length polymorphism PCR of the gyrB gene, as previously described.
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/ Emerging Infectious Diseases
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/21/3/14-1119_article Original web page at Emerging Infectious Diseases