Quantification of Mycobacterium avium subspecies in pig tissues by real-time quantitative PCR.

Background: Mycobacterioses in animals cause economical losses and certain Mycobacterium avium subspecies are regarded as potential zoonotic agents. The evaluation of the zoonotic risk caused by M. avium subspecies requires information about the quantities of Mycobacterium strains in infected animals.

Comparison of variable-number tandem-repeat markers typing and IS1245 restriction fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting of Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis from human and porcine origins.

Background: Animal mycobacterioses are regarded as a potential zoonotic risk and cause economical losses world wide. M. avium subsp.

Toxinogenic Bacillus pumilus and Bacillus licheniformis from mastitic milk.

To elucidate the occurrence of heat-stable toxin-producing strains among mastitic Bacillus isolates, 100 milk samples of mastitic cows from different parts of Finland were screened. Bacillus was identified as the major organism in 23 samples. Toxinogenic Bacillus isolates identified by sperm cell motility inhibition assay were isolated from six samples.

High genetic relatedness among Mycobacterium avium strains isolated from pigs and humans revealed by comparative IS1245 RFLP analysis.

Members of the Mycobacterium avium complex cause pig mycobacteriosis and opportunistic human infections. Infections due to environmental mycobacteria are increasing in both industrial and developing countries. Mycobacterium-infected pig carcasses can pass for human consumption due to the poor specificity of meat control by visual detection at the slaughter houses.

Proliferation of mycobacteria in a piggery environment revealed by mycobacterium-specific real-time quantitative PCR and 16S rRNA sandwich hybridization.

Pig mycobacteriosis is the most common animal mycobacterial disease in Finland with a long-term average prevalence of 0.34% and temporary peaks as high as 0.85%.