School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
The Marine Mammal Centre, Sausalito, California, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2019 Feb 12;14(2):e0212363. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212363. eCollection 2019.
Mycobacterium pinnipedii causes tuberculosis in a number of pinniped species, and transmission to cattle and humans has been reported. The aims of this study were to: characterize the pathology and prevalence of tuberculosis in New Zealand marine mammals; use molecular diagnostic methods to confirm and type the causal agent; and to explore relationships between type and host characteristics. Tuberculosis was diagnosed in 30 pinnipeds and one cetacean. Most affected pinnipeds had involvement of the pulmonary system, supporting inhalation as the most common route of infection, although ingestion was a possible route in the cetacean. PCR for the RD2 gene confirmed M. pinnipedii as the causal agent in 23/31 (74%) cases (22 using DNA from cultured organisms, and one using DNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue), including the first published report in a cetacean. RD2 PCR results were compared for 22 cases where both cultured organisms and FFPE tissues were available, with successful identification of M. pinnipedii in 7/22 (31.8%). In cases with moderate to large numbers of acid-fast bacilli, RD2 PCR on FFPE tissue provided a rapid, inexpensive method for confirming M. pinnipedii infection without the need for culture. VNTR typing distinguished New Zealand M. pinnipedii isolates from M. pinnipedii isolated from Australian pinnipeds and from common types of M. bovis in New Zealand. Most (16/18) M. pinnipedii isolates from New Zealand sea lions were one of two common VNTR types whereas the cetacean isolate was a type detected previously in New Zealand cattle.
海洋分枝杆菌可引起多种鳍足类动物的结核病，并且已经有向牛和人类传播的报道。本研究的目的是：描述新西兰海洋哺乳动物中结核病的病理学和流行情况；使用分子诊断方法确认和分型病原体；并探讨型别与宿主特征之间的关系。在 30 只鳍足类动物和 1 只鲸类动物中诊断出结核病。大多数受影响的鳍足类动物肺部系统受累，支持吸入是最常见的感染途径，尽管鲸类动物可能通过摄入途径感染。使用 RD2 基因 PCR 确认 31 例中的 23 例（74%）为海洋分枝杆菌引起（22 例使用培养物的 DNA，1 例使用福尔马林固定石蜡包埋（FFPE）组织的 DNA），包括在鲸类动物中首次发表的报告。对 22 例既有培养物又有 FFPE 组织的病例进行 RD2 PCR 结果比较，成功鉴定出 7/22（31.8%）例海洋分枝杆菌。在有中等至大量抗酸杆菌的病例中，FFPE 组织上的 RD2 PCR 为确认海洋分枝杆菌感染提供了一种快速、廉价的方法，而无需培养。VNTR 分型将新西兰海洋分枝杆菌分离株与来自澳大利亚鳍足类动物的海洋分枝杆菌分离株以及新西兰常见的牛分枝杆菌类型区分开来。来自新西兰海狮的大多数（16/18）海洋分枝杆菌分离株为两种常见 VNTR 类型之一，而鲸类动物分离株为以前在新西兰牛中检测到的类型。
