Mycobacterium caprae in cattle and humans in Croatia

• Published in: The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease Vol. 11; no. 6; pp. 652 - 658
• Main Authors: Cvetnic, Katalinic-Jankovic, Sostaric, Spicic, Obrovac, Marjanovic, Benic, Kirin, Vickovic
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris, France IUATLD 01.06.2007; Union internationale contre la tuberculose et les maladies respiratoires
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Antitubercular Agents - therapeutic use; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial Typing Techniques - veterinary; Biological and medical sciences; Cattle; Croatia; Dairying; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; Female; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Milk - microbiology; Miscellaneous; Mycobacterium; Mycobacterium bovis - classification; Mycobacterium bovis - genetics; Mycobacterium bovis - isolation & purification; Mycobacterium Caprae; Pneumology; Prevention and actions; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Treatment Outcome; Tuberculin Test - veterinary; Tuberculosis - diagnosis; Tuberculosis - drug therapy; Tuberculosis - genetics; Tuberculosis - microbiology; Tuberculosis - transmission; Tuberculosis and atypical mycobacterial infections; Tuberculosis, Bovine - diagnosis; Tuberculosis, Bovine - genetics; Tuberculosis, Bovine - pathology; Tuberculosis, Bovine - transmission; Zoonoses; Europe; Croatia; Epidemic; Human; Mycobacterium; Bovine; Mycobacterium caprae; cattle; Mycobacterial infection; Infection; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Tuberculosis; Mycobacteriales; Animal; Bacteriosis; Mycobacteriaceae; Bacteria; Actinomycetes; Artiodactyla; humans; Ungulata; Public health; Pneumology; Croatia
• ISSN: 1027-3719; 1815-7920

SETTING: This paper describes an outbreak of human and related bovine tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium caprae in Croatia. A 13-year-old boy clinically presented enlargement of cervical lymph node with consecutive isolation of M. caprae. His 7-year-old sister, who had no clinical signs of disease, hyper-reacted to the purified protein derivative (PPD) test (>25 mm) and peribronchial infiltration was found by radiology. The children came from a family that ran a small-sized cattle dairy farm.DESIGN: All cattle on the farm were subjected to cutaneous TB testing: six of the 14 reacted positive, while three were suspicious. The entire herd was slaughtered, their carcasses examined and collected material subjected to pertinent diagnostic procedures.RESULTS: Gross examination findings consistent with TB were observed in the PPD-positive cows. Mycobacteria isolated from the boy and cattle were identified by classical and molecular methods, confirming M. caprae as the causative agent.CONCLUSION: Although not bacteriologically proven, consumption of raw milk or non-pasteurised milk products from infected dairy cattle was suspected as the source of infection in humans. Our findings confirm the domination of M. caprae among cattle in Croatia and represent the first evidence of M. caprae infection in humans in Croatia.