An outbreak of Mycobacterium bovis infection in fallow deer (Dama dama)

In an outbreak of Mycobacterium bovis infection in fallow deer in South Australia, 3 herds related by recent movement of deer were infected. From these 3 infected herds, 47 of 51 animals were tuberculosis at necropsy. A range of lesions was seen most of which differed from classical bovine tuberculosis in that pus was a white liquid, fibrous encapsulation was not marked and calcification was rare. Histopathology was of classical tuberculosis. M. bovis was cultured from lesions and M. avium-intracellulare was cultured from one deer with no visible lesions. The source of M. bovis infection has not been determined.