Populational-based survey of molecular and epidemiological links between human and animal infections by Mycobacterium bovis
Poster presented in 34th Annual Congress of the European Society of Mycobacteriology
July 1st, 2013
Romero B., Palacios JJ., Navarro Y., Copano MF., de Juan L., Alvarez J., Alende T., Dominguez L. and Garcia de Viedma D.
Mycobacterium bovis is the main causative agent of tuberculosis (TB) in animals and few cases of human tuberculosis due to this pathogen have been reported in industrialized countries. In Spain, around 2% of the human TB cases are caused by M. bovis. The prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle herds in Asturias (North Spain) is very low (0.14 in 2011) in comparison with the overall prevalence in the rest of the country (1.33 in 2011). From 2006 to 2011 seventeen patients with M. bovis infection were detected in Asturias. All corresponded to Spanish-born cases, two were HIV-positive and the average age was 61.4. In most cases existed the possibility of a reactivation of an ancient TB infection by immunosuppression (i.e age, HIV, respiratory dysfunction). To challenge this hypothesis and to evaluate potential recent transmission events we carried out the molecular characterization of the M. bovis isolates following a two-step scheme. Firstly, human cases were genotyped by spoligotyping and secondly, MIRU-VNTR was applied to the human isolates together with all animal isolates (N=74) from the farms located in their health-care area sharing spoligotype with the human case. Genotyping of these isolates showed eight (47%) human cases sharing identical or highly similar genotype (differences in one out of nine VNTR loci) with an animal isolate. A coordinated epidemiological research was carried out in order to support the molecular matches and direct or indirect (farmer, livestock dealer, or consumers of unpasteurized milk) relationships with animal farms were found in five of them. Isolates from two human cases living in the same city were clustered between them, suggesting potential human-human transmission. Our study constitutes a model of integrative collaboration between human health and veterinary efforts and means a snapshot of the transmission dynamics of M. bovis in the human animal interphase
 | Departamento de Sanidad Animal. Facultad de Veterinaria. Universidad Complutense (UCM). |
| Servicio de Micobacterias (MYC). Centro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET). Universidad Complutense (UCM). |
Link to 34th Annual Congress of the European Society of Mycobacteriology
