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OJVRTM
Online Journal of Veterinary Research©
Volume 10 (2) : 162 - 176,
2006
Evidence
that sheep and goats are a reservoir for mycobacteria
in Greece
Ikonomopoulos JA.
Agricultural
University of Athens,
Faculty of Animal Science, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Ieraodos 75, 11855, Athens, Greece
ABSTRACT
Ikonomopoulos
JA, Evidence
that sheep and goats are a reservoir for mycobacteria
in Greece, Online J Vet Res, 10 (2) : 162 - 176,
2006 Tuberculosis remains a zoonosis of worldwide
significance. Control measures applied in Greece have caused a
considerable
decrease in the prevalence of tuberculosis in animals but the disease
has not
been eradicated. The aim of this study was to assess the spread of all
the
major mycobacterial pathogens in the blood
of sheep
and goats of a predominately agricultural part of Greece, using the
polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) for the detection and identification of DNA belonging to
Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium, and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis
(MAP). Heparinised blood
samples were collected from 408 sheep and goats (291 sheep and 117
goats) that
were randomly selected from a total of 30 flocks (19 flocks of sheep
and 11 of
goats) from Nomos Thesportias,
Trikalon, and Karditsas. A percentage that reached 21% of the blood
samples and 90% of the sheep and goat herds included in this study
reacted
positive to PCR. In more detail 5.6%, 3.9%, and 11.5% of the animals,
and
46.6%, 40%, and 60% of the farms allowed
respectively,
amplification of the insertion elements IS900 (MAP), IS1245 (M.
avium subsp.
avium), and IS6110 (M. tuberculosis
complex). The results presented here
indicate that the local small ruminant population may be tolerant to
certain
types of mycobacterial infections that
remain
clinically silent. Therefore it would be perhaps advisable to consider
the possibility
of sheep and goats consisting a mycobacterial
reservoir in
Greece, within the context of
tuberculosis-control measures applied in the country.
Key words:
tuberculosis of sheep and goats, polymerase chain
reaction.