The Role of Antibody Testing Using Commercially Available Reagents in Tuberculosis Surveillance Algorithms Being...

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Primate Health

Background:

• Tuberculosis (TB) detection in nonhuman primates (NHPs) is crucial for biosecurity and preventing zoonotic transmission.
• Current TB detection methods, like the tuberculin skin test, have limitations and lack widespread acceptance in NHPs.
• Validation studies comparing new assays against culture, the gold standard, are scarce, hindering progress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of antibody testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) surveillance in NHPs.
• To assess the performance of commercially available antibody tests in established NHP breeding colonies.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted on 593 NHPs from three large breeding colonies.
• Animals were screened using tuberculin skin tests and commercially available antibody tests.
• Results were analyzed to determine the effectiveness of antibody testing in identifying MTBC infection.

Main Results:

• Out of 593 NHPs, 39 had nonnegative skin tests and 16 had nonnegative antibody tests.
• No animals were confirmed positive for MTBC infection when using a combination of tests.
• This suggests a low prevalence or high efficacy of current control measures in these colonies.

Conclusions:

• Antibody testing, when used in conjunction with other diagnostics, may serve as a valuable tool for TB surveillance in NHPs.
• Further research is warranted to fully validate antibody tests for routine use in NHP populations.
• Effective TB surveillance is essential for safeguarding NHP colonies and human handlers.