Early Release – Tuberculosis and Fossa in Lemurs of the National Zoo of Madagascar, 2022 – Volume 29, Issue 12 – December 2023 – Journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases

In 2020, the World Health Organization estimated that 238 cases occurred in Madagascar. Mycobacterium tuberculosis Less than half of cases of complex infections per 100,000 people were properly diagnosed and notified by public health authorities. Madagascar’s health and wildlife conservation sectors have low effectiveness, as government programs and infrastructure often face underfunding, ineffective implementation, and corruption (1).

Captive wild animals experience high levels of stress and are often malnourished, leading to immunosuppression (2). Most of Madagascar’s zoos, including Chimbazaza Botanical Zoo (PBZT), Madagascar’s national zoo, house wild-caught animals, and their management is substandard compared to zoos in developed countries.3,Four). The close contact between potentially pathogen-carrying humans and animals in Madagascar breeding facilities creates an ideal environment for the transmission of zoonoses and reverse zoonoses.Five).

I have previously reported Mycobacterium tuberculosis (streptomycin-resistant strain 3) infection in wild-caught pet ring-tailed lemurs (lemur) Madagascar (6). The disease has not been reported in wild lemurs, but few populations or species have been screened (7). In this report: Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection L.Catta Several other endangered lemur species, and in the fossa (cryptoproctor ferox), Madagascar (Table, Appendix Table).

Animals that have tested positive Mycobacterium tuberculosis (n = 10) were housed at PBZT in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Infected animals exhibited prolonged clinical symptoms including lethargy, anorexia, vomiting, and fever, leading to death. Necropsy of four animals revealed extensive lymphoherogenic dissemination. Valesia variegata Lemur (Figure) with nodules, lesions, and white lesions found in the lungs, kidneys, spleen, and mesentery. Caseating, inflamed, necrotic lymph nodes, and hemorrhage were also seen (Appendix Figure 1). Infected live animals (n = 6) were sampled using oropharyngeal swabs or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.There is no information about the existence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis We were able to obtain PBZT staff.

confirmed Mycobacterium tuberculosis GeneXpert MTB/RIF Ultra Assay (Cepheid, https://www.cepheid.com) and culture in BACTEC-MGIT liquid medium (8). We are MinION (Oxford Nanopore Technologies; Oxford Nanopore Technologies; https://nanoporetech.com) and NovaSeq PE150 (Illumina, https://www.illumina.com/) sequencing platform.Decontaminated sequencing reads Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv reference genome (accession number NC_000962.3). Phylogenetic classification based on single nucleotide polymorphisms revealed that all isolates clustered in lineage 4.3.3. (European American lineage, Latin American sublineage) (9), the maximum distance is two single nucleotide polymorphisms (Appendix Figures 2, 3). Sequencing resistance prediction from GeneXpert MTB/RIF Ultra and culture of clinical isolates did not indicate rifampin resistance.

We have deposited all sequence data used in this study in the Sequence Read Archive of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (accession number PRJNA659624). We processed his BACTEC-MGIT cultures at the National Reference Tuberculosis Laboratory of the Pasteur de Madagascar Institute in Antananarivo. For all batches of clinical isolates on BACTEC-MGIT cultures, positive control mycobacterial growth indicator tubes containing the laboratory reference stain h37Rv and negative control tubes containing phosphate buffer for decontamination were used. The National Reference TB Laboratory is externally accredited twice a year for quality assurance and proficiency testing on the BACTEC-MGIT culture.

Lineage 4 is the geographically most prevalent tuberculosis strain and is most prevalent in people residing in Antananarivo (Ten).Primates and other wild animals can be infected mycobacterium From humans (Five). Considering that the maximum distance of whole animal genome sequences within PBZT is low (two single nucleotide polymorphisms) and human isolates with the same sublineage L 4.3.3 were found in close proximity to PBZT at approximately the same time An infected human could then transmit the disease to multiple animals. However, it is unclear whether lemurs or fossa are reservoirs of the infection, although interspecific transmission may have occurred. Mycobacterium tuberculosis. If so, infection to wild lemurs and other native wildlife could pose a threat (6) Because captured wild animals are sometimes released into forests or live near wild animals (2). Additionally, immunocompromised people may be at risk for: Mycobacterium tuberculosis If you have been around an animal with a disease such as PBZT, you may have a latent or active infection.

The threat of tuberculosis transmission between humans and endangered wildlife such as lemurs raises the need for changes to minimize interactions between humans and wildlife and reduce the likelihood of new disease outbreaks. (Five,6). Recommendations to protect Madagascar’s wildlife include not capturing and breeding wild animals, not breeding wild animals in substandard captive conditions, improving husbandry practices comparable to international standards, and preventing infectious diseases. This should include humane euthanasia of animals exposed to the disease. We also recommend annual testing (and negative results) for communicable diseases in humans working near wildlife and no-contact restrictions for the public and wildlife. These recommendations are consistent with the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians guidelines.

Up