Members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex share a high level of genetic identity, however pathogenic ability appears to display host restriction. Interestingly M. tuberculosis, the primary cause of tuberculosis in humans, is non-pathogenic in cattle. Conversely Mycobacterium bovis, the cause of tuberculosis in cattle, is also responsible for a proportion of tuberculosis cases in humans. We hypothesise that differences in the abilities of M. bovis and M. tuberculosis to cause pathogenesis in cattle will be reflected in their interactions with bovine antigen presenting cells. To analyse the importance of host species in mycobacterial infection, bovine antigen presenting cells were infected with bovine or human mycobacterial strains. Levels of nitric oxide and tumour necrosis factor production, markers of antimicrobial activity, were found to be associated with a specific mycobacterial strain, and varied between cell subsets.
SAMRC Centre for Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
Animal tuberculosis (TB) has been reported in several wildlife species in the Greater Kruger Conservation Area (GKCA), South Africa. This report describes the discovery of clinical tuberculosis, caused by (), in free-ranging vervet monkeys (). The "One Health" concept is especially relevant to TB since this is a multi-host disease with zoonotic potential and is endemic in GKCA.
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant global health challenge, latently affecting around a quarter of the global population. The sole licensed TB vaccine, Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), shows variable efficacy, particularly among adolescents and adults, underscoring the pressing need for more effective vaccination strategies. The administration route is crucial for vaccine efficacy, and administration via the skin, being rich in immune cells, may offer advantages over conventional subcutaneous routes, which lack direct access to abundant antigen-presenting cells.
Background: Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), can enter a dormant phase within host tissues, complicating treatment and highlighting the need to investigate the genetic changes associated with dormancy.
Methods: This study examined clinical isolates of MTB, representing a range of susceptibility profiles and standard reference laboratory strains, i.e.
Background: The growing use of real-time PCR (qPCR) as a diagnostic method for bovine TB (bTB) requires rapid and effective DNA extraction methods, which are crucial for its success. Automated DNA extraction methods based on magnetic beads are a promising alternative to conventional silica column-based protocols (COL protocol) due to their high throughput capacity and reduced hands-on time. This study aimed to assess the performance of the MagMax CORE Nucleic Acid Purification kit and the KingFisher Flex instrument (KF protocol) as an alternative for scaling up the use of qPCR in bTB diagnosis.
An 83-year-old man presented with persistent fever after intravesical BCG therapy for bladder cancer. Chest computed tomography (CT) and bronchoscopy revealed diffuse ground-glass opacities with multiple micronodules and lymphocyte-predominant bronchoalveolar lavage fluid with a high CD4/CD8 ratio, respectively. Therefore, corticotherapy for interstitial pneumonia was initiated.
