Alba Patricia, Caprioli Andrea, Cocumelli Cristiano, Eleni Claudia, Diaconu Elena Lavinia, Donati Valentina, Ianzano Angela, Sorbara Luigi, Stravino Fiorentino, Cerini Natalino, Boniotti Maria Beatrice, Zanoni Mariagrazia, Franco Alessia, Battisti Antonio
Department of General Diagnostics, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Lazio e della Toscana "M. Aleandri", Rome, Italy.
Azienda Sanitaria Locale Roma 6, Servizi Veterinari, Rome, Italy.
Front Microbiol. 2023 Dec 21;14:1303682. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1303682. eCollection 2023.
Tuberculosis (TB) affects humans and other animals, and it is caused by bacteria within the complex (MTBC). In this study, we report the characterisation of that caused a TB case in a sea lion () kept in an Italian zoo. The animal died due to severe, progressive disorders involving the respiratory and gastro-enteric systems and the skin. At necropsy, typical gross lesions referable to a TB generalised form were found. In particular, nodular granulomatous lesions were detected in the lungs and several lymph nodes, and colonies referable to spp. were isolated from lung, mesenteric, and mediastinal lymph nodes. The isolate was identified by PCR as a MTBC, had a spoligotype SB 1480 ("seal lineage"), and was characterised and characterised by whole-genome sequencing analysis confirming that the MTBC involved was . The analysis of the resistome and virulome indicated the presence of macrolide and aminoglycoside resistance genes intrinsic in [ and (2')-Ic] and confirmed the presence of the region of difference 1 (RD1), harbouring the A and B virulence genes, differently from its closest taxon, . As for other MTCB members, infection can spill over into non-pinniped mammalian species; therefore, zoological gardens, veterinary practitioners, and public health officers should be aware of the hazard posed by tuberculosis from marine mammals. Since the isolate under study, as well as all available genomes of investigated in this study retains almost all the virulence genes, it could indeed cause infection, lesions, and disease in other animal species, including humans.
结核病（TB）可感染人类和其他动物，由结核分枝杆菌复合群（MTBC）中的细菌引起。在本研究中，我们报告了在意大利一家动物园饲养的一只海狮（）身上引发结核病病例的 的特征。该动物因涉及呼吸和胃肠系统以及皮肤的严重、进行性疾病而死亡。尸检时，发现了典型的可归因于播散型结核病的大体病变。特别是，在肺部和几个淋巴结中检测到结节性肉芽肿病变，并且从肺、肠系膜和纵隔淋巴结中分离出了可归因于 属的菌落。通过聚合酶链反应（PCR）将分离株鉴定为MTBC，具有spoligotype SB 1480（“海豹谱系”），并通过全基因组测序分析进行了特征描述，证实所涉及的MTBC是 。对耐药组和毒力组的分析表明， 中存在大环内酯类和氨基糖苷类耐药基因[ 和(2')-Ic]，并证实了差异区域1（RD1）的存在，该区域含有A和B毒力基因，与其最接近的分类群 不同。至于其他MTBC成员， 感染可传播到非鳍足类哺乳动物物种；因此，动物园、兽医从业者和公共卫生官员应意识到海洋哺乳动物结核病带来的危害。由于本研究中所研究的分离株以及所有可用的 基因组几乎保留了所有 毒力基因，它确实可能在包括人类在内的其他动物物种中引起感染、病变和疾病。
