Investigation of Mycobacterium bovis and Metastrongylus sp. co-infection and its relationship to tuberculosis lesions' occurrence in wild boars. (August 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lopes, Bruna Correa; Vidaletti, Marina Roth; Loiko, Márcia Regina; Andrade, Juliana da Silva; Maciel, Anna Luiza Gisler; Doyle, Rovaina Laureano; Bertagnolli, Angélica Cavalheiro; Rodrigues, Rogério Oliveira; Driemeier, David; Mayer, Fabiana Quoos
• Is Part Of: Comparative immunology, microbiology and infectious diseases. Volume 77(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-08
• Subjects: Nematode -- Bovine tuberculosis -- Swine -- Mixed infections -- Zoonosis -- Parasite; Communicable diseases in animals -- Periodicals; Veterinary immunology -- Periodicals; Veterinary microbiology -- Periodicals; Immunology -- Periodicals; Microbiology -- Periodicals; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Communicable Diseases -- immunology -- Periodicals; Communicable Diseases -- veterinary -- Periodicals; Allergy and Immunology -- Periodicals; Microbiology -- Periodicals; Veterinary Medicine -- Periodicals; Immunologie -- Périodiques; Microbiologie -- Périodiques; Maladies infectieuses -- Périodiques; Communicable diseases; Immunology; Microbiology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 636.08969
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2021.101674
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0147-9571

Abstract

Highlights: M. bovis was detected in 36.4 % (28/77) of Brazilian wild boars. Most of the animals had no macroscopic tuberculosis-like lesions (89.3 %; 25/28). Co-infections may alter immune response and Metastrongylus sp. was investigated. There was no association between Metastrongylus sp. occurrence and aTB lesions' pattern. Abstract: Animal tuberculosis (aTB) is a zoonotic disease characterized by granulomatous lesions on affected tissues, occurring as a consequence of immunological response to infection. Mycobacterium bovis, the main causative agent of aTB, was investigated in Brazilian wild boars with 37.7 % (29/77) positivity. Among these animals, most had no macroscopic tuberculosis-like lesions (89.6 %; 26/29). The existence of co-infections, which may alter an individual's immune response to an immunological challenge, could influence the formation of tuberculosis lesions. Therefore, we investigated Metastrongylus sp. and aTB co-infection to seek an explanation for the absence of macroscopic lesions in aTB. Of the tested animals, 77.9 % (60/77) had Metastrongylus sp., however, there was no association between its occurrence and the pattern of aTB lesions. The absence of tuberculous lesions in infected animals is worrisome, especially to hunters who handle their carcasses, potentially assuming that the animal is healthy. Studies evaluating other possibilities that can explain the absence of lesions in infected animals should be carried out to better understand these findings.