TY - JOUR
T1 - Mycobacterium bovis prevalence affects the performance of a commercial serological assay for bovine tuberculosis in African buffaloes
AU - van der Heijden, Elisabeth M D L
AU - Cooper, David V
AU - Rutten, Victor P M G
AU - Michel, Anita L
N1 - Copyright © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
PY - 2019/10/16
Y1 - 2019/10/16
N2 - The endemic presence of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) in African buffaloes in South Africa has severe consequences for BTB control in domestic cattle, buffalo ranching and wildlife conservation, and poses a potential risk to public health. This study determined the BTB prevalence in free-ranging buffaloes in two game reserves and assessed the influence of the prevalence of mycobacterial infections on the performance of a commercial cattle-specific serological assay for BTB (TB ELISA). Buffaloes (n = 997) were tested with the tuberculin skin test and TB ELISA; a subset (n = 119) was tested longitudinally. Culture, PCR and sequencing were used to confirm infection with M. bovis and/or non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Prevalence of BTB, but not NTM, influenced the TB ELISA performance. Multiple testing did not increase test confidence. The findings strongly illustrate the need for development of novel assays that can supplement existing assays for a more comprehensive testing scheme for BTB in African buffaloes.
AB - The endemic presence of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) in African buffaloes in South Africa has severe consequences for BTB control in domestic cattle, buffalo ranching and wildlife conservation, and poses a potential risk to public health. This study determined the BTB prevalence in free-ranging buffaloes in two game reserves and assessed the influence of the prevalence of mycobacterial infections on the performance of a commercial cattle-specific serological assay for BTB (TB ELISA). Buffaloes (n = 997) were tested with the tuberculin skin test and TB ELISA; a subset (n = 119) was tested longitudinally. Culture, PCR and sequencing were used to confirm infection with M. bovis and/or non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Prevalence of BTB, but not NTM, influenced the TB ELISA performance. Multiple testing did not increase test confidence. The findings strongly illustrate the need for development of novel assays that can supplement existing assays for a more comprehensive testing scheme for BTB in African buffaloes.
U2 - 10.1016/j.cimid.2019.101369
DO - 10.1016/j.cimid.2019.101369
M3 - Article
C2 - 31718809
SP - 101369
JO - Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
JF - Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
SN - 0147-9571
ER -