A case of mycobacteriosis associated with Mycobacterium pseudoshottsii in aquarium-reared fish in Japan

In 2019, several aquarium-reared fish died at a sea life park in Japan. Necropsy revealed micronodules on the spleen in the dotted gizzard shad (Konosirus punctatus). Seven of 16 fish exhibited microscopic multifocal granulomas associated with acid-fast bacilli in the spleen, kidney, liver, alimentary tract, mesentery, gills, and/or heart. Bacterial cultures yielded isolates from the dotted gizzard shad and a Japanese sardine (Sardinops melanostictus). Microbiological and molecular biological examinations revealed the isolates as Mycobacterium pseudoshottsii. To our knowledge, this is the first isolation of M. pseudoshottsii from aquarium-reared fish.     

应用基因分型技术研究牛结核分枝杆菌分子流行病学

牛分枝杆菌是引起牛结核病(bTB)的病原体,侵染宿主广泛,可感染多种家畜和野生动物,对人类和动物健康构成巨大危害。随着多年不懈的研究,有关分枝杆菌分子流行病学的知识积累不断增加。作者对近年来应用新的基因分型技术研究牛结核分枝杆菌分子流行病学方面的一些研究进展。这些技术包限制性片段长度多态性分析(RFLP)、PCR介导的间隔区寡核苷酸分析(spoligotyping)、数目可变串联重复位点(VNTR)等。主要用于对人、牛、家畜以及野生动物的结核病分子流行病学进行分析和监测。另外,还利用一系列敏感的基于PCR的技术从分枝杆菌杆菌复合体(NTM)中对菌型进行鉴别。对分枝杆菌感染分子流行病学的全面了解,有助于对本病扩散传播机制的深入研究。可为制定科学防治结核病的措施做出贡献。     

Trends and advances in the diagnosis and control of paratuberculosis in domestic livestock

Paratuberculosis (pTB) is a chronic granulomatous enteritis caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) in a wide variety of domestic and wild animals. Control of pTB is difficult due to the lack of sensitive, efficacious and cost-effective diagnostics and marker vaccines. Microscopy, culture, and PCR have been used for the screening of MAP infection in animals for quite a long time. Besides, giving variable sensitivity and specificity, these tests have not been considered ideal for large-scale screening of domestic livestock. Serological tests like ELISA easily detects anti-MAP antibodies. However, it cannot differentiate between the vaccinated and infected animals. Nanotechnology-based diagnostic tests are underway to improve the sensitivity and specificity. Newer generation diagnostic tests based on recombinant MAP secretory proteins would open new paradigm for the differentiation between infected and vaccinated animals and for early detection of the infection. Due to higher seroreactivity of secretory proteins vis-à-vis cellular proteins, the secretory proteins may be used as marker vaccine, which may aid in the control of pTB infection in animals. Secretory proteins can be potentially used to develop future diagnostics, surveillance and monitoring of the disease progression in animals and the marker vaccine for the control and eradication of pTB.     

Study on Optimization of the Conditions of Detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Milk by Technique of Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification

To optimize the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis in milk,the highly conservative 16S rRNA gene of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was selected as a target to design specific primers.Compared the modified method of CATB/NaCl,bacterial genome DNA extraction kit and thermal cracking method to extract the DNA of Mycobacterium tuberculosis,the best approach was chosen.Mycobacterium tuberculosis suspension liquid was diluted with sterilization milk to confirm the susceptibility of this assay.And then Brucella,Escherichia coli,Staphylococcus aureus,Listeria monocytogenes,Bacillus pasteurii and Salmonella were used for specificity detection.The results showed that the modified method of CATB/NaCl was better than the others.The sensitivity of LAMP was 3×10⁰ CFU/mL,and the specificity was 100%.The sensitivity of detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis in milk by LAMP was 3×10¹ CFU/mL.     

Molecular Epidemiology of Mycobacterium bovis in Humans and Cattle

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), is a serious re‐emerging disease in both animals and humans. The evolution of the Multi‐ and Extensively drug‐resistant M. bovis strains (MDR‐TB and XDR‐TB) represents a global threat to public health. Worldwide, the disease is responsible for great economic losses in the veterinary field, serious threat to the ecosystem, and about 3.1% of human TB cases, up to 16% in Tanzania. Only thorough investigation to understand the pathogen's epidemiology can help in controlling the disease and minimizing its threat. For this purpose, various tools have been developed for use in advanced molecular epidemiological studies of bTB, either alone or in combination with standard conventional epidemiological approaches. These techniques enable the analysis of the intra‐ and inter‐species transmission dynamics of bTB. The delivered data can reveal detailed insights into the source of infection, correlations among human and bovine isolates, strain diversity and evolution, spread, geographical localization, host preference, tracing of certain virulence factors such as antibiotic resistance genes, and finally the risk factors for the maintenance and spread of M. bovis. They also allow for the determination of epidemic and endemic strains. This, in turn, has a significant diagnostic impact and helps in vaccine development for bTB eradication programs. The present review discusses many topics including the aetiology, epidemiology and importance of M. bovis, the prevalence of bTB in humans and animals in various countries, the molecular epidemiology of M. bovis, and finally applied molecular epidemiological techniques.     

牛结核杆菌MPB70-ESAT-6融合蛋白的原核表达及抗原反应性分析

为增强单个蛋白的抗原性,利用(Gly4Ser)3柔性连接肽将牛结核杆菌MPB70和ESAT-6融合。采用重叠延伸PCR技术将牛结核杆菌mpb70与esat-6基因连接,获得融合基因mpb70-esat-6,连接至T-Vector pMD19中,获得克隆质粒pMD-70-esat-6。经Bam HⅠ、EcoRⅠ酶切、纯化,并与p ET28a(+)载体连接,构建了pET-70-esat-6重组表达质粒。SDS-PAGE发现,在27.2 ku处表达了融合蛋白MPB70-ESAT-6,Western blotting证实,MPB70-ESAT-6与牛结核阳性血清反应性良好。MPB70-ESAT-6融合蛋白的研究为牛结核病诊断抗原及相关疫苗研究奠定了基础。     

Control of clinical paratuberculosis in New Zealand pastoral livestock

This review summarises current control measures for clinical paratuberculosis (Johne’s disease; JD) in New Zealand pastoral livestock. Most New Zealand sheep, deer, beef and dairy cattle herds and flocks are infected by Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (Map). Dairy cattle and deer are mostly infected with bovine (Type II), and sheep and beef cattle with ovine (Type I) strains. Control in all industries is voluntary. While control in sheep and beef cattle is ad hoc, the dairy and deer industries have developed resources to assist development of farm-specific programmes.

The primary target for all livestock is reduction of the incidence rate of clinical disease rather than bacterial eradication per se. For dairy farms, a nationally instituted JD-specific programme provides guidelines for risk management, monitoring and testing clinically suspect animals. While there is no formal programme for sheep farms, for those with annual prevalences of clinical disease >2%, especially fine wool breeds, vaccination may be a cost effective control option. The deer industry proactively monitors infection by a national abattoir surveillance programme and farmers with an apparent high disease incidence are encouraged to engage with a national network of trained consultants for management and control advice. Evaluation of the biological and economic effectiveness of control in all industries remains to be undertaken. Nevertheless, opportunities exist for farmers, who perceive significant JD problems in their herds/flocks, to participate in systematic best-practice activities that are likely to reduce the number of clinical infections with Map on their farms, and therefore the overall prevalence of JD in New Zealand’s farming industries.     

Potential novel markers to discriminate between active and latent tuberculosis infection in Chinese individuals

Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) constitutes the main reservoir for reactivation tuberculosis. The finding of potential biomarkers for differentiating between TB and LTBI is very necessary. In this study, the immunological characteristics and potential diagnostic utility of Rv2029c, Rv2628 and Rv1813c proteins were assessed. These three proteins stimulated PBMCs from ELISPOT-positive LTBI subjects produced higher levels of IFN-γ in comparison with TB patients and ELISPOT-negative healthy subjects (p < 0.05). BCG vaccination and non-TB respiratory disease had little influence on the immunological responses of Rv2029c and Rv2628 proteins (p > 0.05). The LTBI diagnostic performance of Rv2029c was higher than Rv2628 and Rv1813c by ROC evaluation. But Rv2628 had much higher specificity than Rv2029c in active TB patients and uninfected healthy subjects. The IgG level against Rv1813c was higher in the TB group than in LTBI and uninfected healthy subjects (p < 0.05). These results suggest that T cell response to Rv2628 and antibody against Rv1813c might be applicable as biomarkers to distinguish TB from LTBI and uninfected individuals.     

Camel tuberculosis–a case report

An adult male dromedary bull was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis (Tb). The dromedary was severely emaciated and died 2 months after the onset of the disease. It exhibited typical Tb lesions in both lungs and lung lymph nodes. A guinea pig inoculated with lung tissue from the Tb camel died after 3 weeks from typical Tb. Mycobacteria were isolated from the dromedary's lung and lung lymph nodes and also from different organs of the guinea pig. The microorganism was identified as member of the antelope clade of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.     

IMAGING DIAGNOSIS—MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING FINDINGS OF AN INTRACRANIAL EPIDURAL TUBERCULOMA IN A DOG

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is highly sensitive for detecting tuberculomas in human patients but the specificity of the MR imaging features is low. Misdiagnosis with intracranial neoplasia is common, especially with dural‐based lesions or lesions located in the epidural space. We describe the MR imaging characteristics of an intracranial epidural tuberculoma caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in a dog. The intracranial mass and skull flat bone lysis and erosion are similar to those described in human caseating tuberculomas and can mimic intracranial neoplastic disease.