A serological test allows the monitoring of tuberculosis in wild boars in contact with infected cattle
Picture: Petr Kratochvil
IRTA-CReSA researchers have developed this test that detects antibodies to this disease
Tuberculosis is a Zoonotic disease caused by bacteria of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex that affects various animal species, including humans. In particular, tuberculosis in wildlife is an emerging problem in Europe and is considered the main cause of failure of disease eradication programs in cattle. In Spain, the wild boar is the main wild reservoir of tuberculosis.
In an article published in the journal Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, IRTA-CReSA researchers, in collaboration with researchers from the Autonomous University of Barcelona – Servei d’Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), have studied for 7 years the tuberculosis in a population of wild boars in the Els Ports of Tortosa- Beseit Natural Park (Tarragona) that has been in contact with a herd of infected bulls. To do this, researchers have developed a serological test that detects antibodies to tuberculosis in serum samples from various species, including wild boar.
Transbound Emerg Dis. 2017 Feb;64(1):275-283. doi: 10.1111/tbed.12368. Serological Follow-up of Tuberculosis in a Wild Boar Population in Contact with Infected Cattle. Pérez de Val B, Napp S, Velarde R, Lavín S, Cervera Z, Singh M, Allepuz A, Mentaberre G.
The results of the study, carried out with samples obtained from 173 wild boars, showed a high incidence of tuberculosis in wild boars, as more than one third of the sampled animals were positive (a total of 58). Most of these cases were confirmed postmortem by the presence of tuberculous lesions in different organs. Thus, the researchers observed a decrease in the positivity of the wild boar after the sanitary depopulation of the bull farm with which they were in contact.
This study highlights the interest of the development of methods for the control and monitoring of tuberculosis in wild animals and contributes to the knowledge of the interactions and the transmission of diseases between these and domestic animals.
