Chiari Mario, Zanoni M, Alborali L G, Zanardi G, Avisani D, Tagliabue S, Gaffuri A, Pacciarini M L, Boniotti M B
1 IZSLER-Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini," Brescia, Italy - Via Bianchi, 9 - 25124 Brescia, Italy.
J Wildl Dis. 2014 Apr;50(2):330-3. doi: 10.7589/2013-06-135. Epub 2014 Feb 5.
During tuberculosis (TB) surveillance, 53 hunted red deer (Cervus elaphus) were collected to determine whether TB was present in free-ranging animals from an Italian alpine area. Samples (lungs, liver, intestine, and lymph nodes) were cultured and analyzed by real-time PCR assay carried out directly on tissue. Mycobacterium caprae was isolated from small granulomatous, tuberculosis-like lesions in the liver of a 12-yr-old female. Identification of suspect colonies was done by PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the gyrb gene, and genotyping was performed by spoligotyping and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit variable number tandem repeat analysis. The isolated strain was genetically identical to strains isolated in the study area in 2001 from dairy cows imported from Austria and in 2010 from an indigenous cow. The genotype, called "Lechtal," is the most frequently detected in the TB outbreaks in Austria and Germany. The possibility that red deer act as a maintenance host of M. caprae between TB outbreaks could be not excluded. Despite the high red deer population density, the detection of only one infected red deer could suggest that the wildlife management measures applied in the study area (prohibition of artificial feeding and secure removal of offal from hunted animals) may reduce the risk of TB spreading.
在结核病（TB）监测期间，收集了53只被猎杀的马鹿（Cervus elaphus），以确定意大利阿尔卑斯山区的自由放养动物中是否存在结核病。对样本（肺、肝、肠和淋巴结）进行培养，并通过直接在组织上进行的实时PCR检测进行分析。从一只12岁雌性马鹿肝脏中的小肉芽肿性、结核样病变中分离出了山羊分枝杆菌。通过对gyrb基因进行PCR限制性片段长度多态性分析来鉴定可疑菌落，并通过间隔寡核苷酸分型和分枝杆菌散布重复单位可变数目串联重复分析进行基因分型。分离出的菌株在基因上与2001年从奥地利进口的奶牛以及2010年从本地奶牛中分离出的菌株相同。这种基因型被称为“莱希塔尔”，是在奥地利和德国的结核病暴发中最常检测到的。不能排除马鹿在结核病暴发期间作为山羊分枝杆菌的储存宿主的可能性。尽管马鹿种群密度很高，但仅检测到一只受感染的马鹿可能表明，研究区域实施的野生动物管理措施（禁止人工投喂以及安全处理被猎杀动物的内脏）可能降低了结核病传播的风险。
