Isolation and molecular characterization of Mycobacterium bovis causing pulmonary tuberculosis and epistaxis in a Thoroughbred horse.
Abstract: Tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) is very uncommon in horses worldwide. Methods: 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.
Publication Date: 2016-09-02 PubMed ID: 27590011PubMed Central: PMC5010722DOI: 10.1186/s12917-016-0813-6Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research paper focuses on a unique case of pulmonary tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis in a thoroughbred horse, which was successfully treated and documented for the first time in South Africa.
Introduction and Case Description
- The article begins by highlighting the rarity of tuberculosis caused by Mycobacterium bovis in horses globally. The focus of the study is an eight-year-old male Thoroughbred that was brought to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital’s Equine Clinic in 2005.
- The horse was showing signs of bilateral epistaxis (nosebleeds from both nostrils) and coughing. In order to diagnose the cause of these symptoms, routine examinations were conducted. An endoscopic examination revealed the main source of the epistaxis was from the trachea.
- Thoracic radiography, an imaging technique to view the chest area, showed a primary lung mass, suggesting a potential medical condition in the lungs.
Diagnosis and Treatment
- The broncho-alveolar lavage sample, a method of obtaining a sample from the lower respiratory tract, was collected and Mycobacterium bovis was isolated. This confirmed the diagnosis of M. bovis induced tuberculosis in the horse.
- For treatment, the horse was orally administered with enrofloxacin, an antibiotic frequently used in veterinary medicine to treat bacterial infections. Remarkably, the lung mass reduced in size within three months of the treatment.
Genetic Characterization of Mycobacterium bovis
- The study also undertook genetic fingerprinting of the isolated M. bovis strain using spoligotyping, a genotyping technique used for characterizing strains of mycobacteria. The identified strain was spoligotype SB0868, which was not previously reported in South Africa.
- This made the study unique as it constituted the first documented case of M. bovis infection in a horse in South Africa, distinguishing it with clinical findings, pathogen isolation, and its genetic characterization.
Conclusions
- The study concluded that despite the lower susceptibility of horses to contract this infection compared to other domestic animals, the possibility of contraction cannot be ruled out completely. In this case, the horse was able to harbor M. bovis.
- The report further indicates that such infections in horses, once contracted, can be potentially managed and eliminated, emphasizing the effectiveness of the treatment provided, and the horse’s capacity to recover.
Cite This Article
APA
Hlokwe TM, Sutton D, Page P, Michel AL.
(2016).
Isolation and molecular characterization of Mycobacterium bovis causing pulmonary tuberculosis and epistaxis in a Thoroughbred horse.
BMC Vet Res, 12(1), 179.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-016-0813-6 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Zoonotic Diseases Section, ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Soutpan Rd., Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa. HlokweT@arc.agric.za.
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Soutpan Rd., Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa. HlokweT@arc.agric.za.
- Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Soutpan Rd., Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa.
- The Weipers Centre Equine Hospital, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
- Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Soutpan Rd., Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa.
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Soutpan Rd., Onderstepoort, 0110, South Africa.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / microbiology
- Enrofloxacin
- Epistaxis / diagnostic imaging
- Epistaxis / drug therapy
- Epistaxis / microbiology
- Epistaxis / veterinary
- Fluoroquinolones / therapeutic use
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Male
- Molecular Typing / veterinary
- Mycobacterium bovis / classification
- Mycobacterium bovis / genetics
- Mycobacterium bovis / isolation & purification
- Radiography, Thoracic / veterinary
- Treatment Outcome
- Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / diagnostic imaging
- Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / drug therapy
- Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / microbiology
- Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / veterinary
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Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Vail KJ, Stranahan LW, Richardson LM, Yanchik AE, Arnold CE, Porter BF, Wiener DJ. Granulomatous Rhinitis in a Horse due to Mycobacterium intracellulare Infection.. J Comp Pathol 2019 May;169:30-34.
- Michel AL, Lane EP, de Klerk-Lorist LM, Hofmeyr M, van der Heijden EMDL, Botha L, van Helden P, Miller M, Buss P. Experimental Mycobacterium bovis infection in three white rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum): Susceptibility, clinical and anatomical pathology.. PLoS One 2017;12(7):e0179943.
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