Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Identification and Characterisation of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria that may Impede the Diagnosis of Bovine Tuberculosis in African Buffaloes (Syncerus caffer), South Africa

Version 1 : Received: 26 August 2022 / Approved: 29 August 2022 / Online: 29 August 2022 (09:48:58 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Clarke, C.; Kerr, T.J.; Warren, R.M.; Kleynhans, L.; Miller, M.A.; Goosen, W.J. Identification and Characterisation of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria in African Buffaloes (Syncerus caffer), South Africa. Microorganisms 2022, 10, 1861. Clarke, C.; Kerr, T.J.; Warren, R.M.; Kleynhans, L.; Miller, M.A.; Goosen, W.J. Identification and Characterisation of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria in African Buffaloes (Syncerus caffer), South Africa. Microorganisms 2022, 10, 1861.

Abstract

Diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) may be confounded by immunological cross-reactivity to Mycobacterium bovis antigens when animals are sensitised by certain nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTMs). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate NTM species diversity in African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) respiratory secretions and tissue samples, using a combination of novel molecular tools. Oronasal swabs were collected opportunistically from 120 immobilised buffaloes in historically bTB-free herds. In addition, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF; n=10) and tissue samples (n=19) were obtained during post-mortem examination. Mycobacterial species were identified directly from oronasal swab samples using the Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra qPCR (14/120 positive) and GenoType CMdirect (104/120 positive). In addition, all samples underwent mycobacterial culture, and PCRs targeting hsp65 and rpoB were performed. Overall, 55 NTM species were identified in 36 mycobacterial culture-positive swab samples with presence of esat-6 or cfp-10 detected in 20 of 36 isolates. The predominant species were M. avium complex and M. komanii. Nontuberculous mycobacteria were also isolated from 6 of 10 culture-positive BALF and 4 of 19 culture-positive tissue samples. Our findings demonstrate that there is a high diversity of NTMs present in buffaloes, and further investigation should determine their role in confounding bTB diagnosis in this species.

Keywords

African buffaloes; bovine tuberculosis; cfp-10; esat-6; hsp65; nontuberculous mycobacteria; rpoB; Syncerus caffer

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Comments (0)

We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.

Leave a public comment
Send a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
Views 0
Downloads 0
Comments 0
Metrics 0


×
Alerts
Notify me about updates to this article or when a peer-reviewed version is published.
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here.