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Prevalence of Mycobacterium bovis infection in cervids on privately owned ranches
John B Kaneene1, Michael VanderKlok, Colleen S Bruning-Fann
1Population Medicine Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824, USA.
Objective:
To determine prevalence of tuberculosis caused by infection with Mycobacterium bovis in cervids on privately owned ranches in northeastern lower Michigan.
Design:
Epidemiologic survey.
Animals:
Cervids on 96 privately owned ranches.
Procedures:
A combination of slaughter and skin tuberculin testing was used to collect data. Infection with M. bovis was confirmed by use of standard necropsy and bacteriologic culture techniques.
Results:
Cervids with tuberculosis were detected on 1 of the 96 ranches. The apparent prevalence of tuberculosis in cervids from the 96 ranches was 1.1 cases/100 cervids (21 cases/1,867 cervids tested). For the ranch with infected cervids, prevalence of infection with M. bovis was 12.1 cases/100 cervids (21 cases/174 cervids tested). No obvious gross lesions were seen in 8 of 21 white-tailed deer and 1 coyote with culture-confirmed M. bovis infection.
Conclusions And Clinical Relevance:
The lack of visible lesions in a substantial proportion of infected animals should be taken into consideration in studies involving detection and prevalence of tuberculosis.