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The article discusses research wherein oryx bacillus was isolated from a free-ranging adult female African buffalo, Syncerus caffer, which tested positive on three straight comparative intradermal tuberculin tests. A single pulmonary granuloma and an active retropharyngeal lymph node was discovered upon necroscopy. The discovery of oryx bacillus in buffalo is reportedly a vital observation in light of the large epidemic of the related Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex species M. bovis.

Background: Cross-species tuberculosis (TB) transmission between humans and animals has been reported for quite a long time in sub-Saharan Africa. Because humans and animals coexist in the same ecosystem, exploring their potential for cross-species transmission and the impact the disease may have on the health of humans, animals, and their products is critical., Objectives: This study aimed to identify risk factors for transmission of TB ( Mycobacterium tuberculosis ) and to assess the potential for zoonotic TB ( Mycobacterium bovis ) transmission in the Serengeti ecosystem where humans and animals are in intense contact. Our aim is to create a base for future implementation of appropriate control strategies to limit infection in both humans and animals., Methodology: We administered a semi-structured questionnaire to 421 self-reporting patients to gather information on risk factors and TB occurrence. In a parallel study, researchers screened sputum smears using Ziehl-Neelsen staining and confirmed by mycobacterial culture. We then performed descriptive statistics (Pearson's chi-square test) and logistic regression analysis to establish frequencies, association, and quantification of the risk factors associated with TB cases., Results: Our findings showed 44% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40-0.49) of the results were positive from sputum samples collected over a 1-year duration in areas with a high TB burden, particularly the Bunda district, followed by the Serengeti and Ngorongoro districts. Of the culture-positive patients who also had infections other than TB (43/187 patients), 21 (49%) were HIV positive. Contact with livestock products (odds ratio [OR] 6.0; 95% CI, 1.81-19.9), infrequent milk consumption (OR 2.5; 95% CI, 1.42-4.23), cigarette smoking (OR 2.9; 95% CI, 1.19-7.1.2), and alcohol consumption (OR 2.3; 95% CI, 1.22-4.23) were associated with a higher likelihood of TB infection., Conclusion: There was no evidence of direct cross-species transmission of either M tuberculosis or M bovis between humans and animals using the study methods. The absence of cross-species TB transmission could be due to limited chances of contact rather than an inability of cross-species disease transmission. In addition, not all people with presumptive TB are infected with TB, and therefore control strategies should emphasise confirming TB status before administering anti-TB drugs., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: None declared., (© The East African Health Research Commission 2017.)

Background: Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a chronic debilitating disease and is a cause of morbidity and mortality in livestock, wildlife and humans. This study estimated the prevalence and risk factors associated with bovine tuberculosis transmission in indigenous cattle at the human-animal interface in the Serengeti ecosystem of Tanzania., Results: A total of 1,103 indigenous cattle from 32 herds were investigated for the presence of bTB using the Single Intradermal Comparative Tuberculin Test. Epidemiological data on herd structure, management and grazing system were also collected.The apparent individual animal prevalence of tuberculin reactors was 2.4% (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.7 - 3.5%), whereas the true prevalence was 0.6% CI, 0.6 - 0.7% as indicated by a reaction to avian tuberculin purified protein derivatives (PPD) which is more than 4 mm greater than the reaction to avian tuberculin PPD. The results showed that 10.6% (117/1,103) showed non-specific reactions (atypical mycobacterium). The herd prevalence of 50% (16/32) was found. Tuberculin skin test results were found to be significantly associated with age, location, size of the household and animal tested. Of 108 respondents, 70 (64.8%) individuals had not heard about bovine tuberculosis at all. Thirty five percent (38/108) of respondents at least were aware of bTB. About 60% (23/38) of respondents who were aware of bTB had some knowledge on how bTB is spread. Eighty one percent (87/108) of respondents were not aware of the presence of bTB in wildlife. There is regular contact between cattle and wild animals due to sharing of grazing land and water sources, with 99% (107/108) of households grazing cattle in communal pastures., Conclusion: The study has demonstrated a high reported interaction of livestock with wildlife and poor knowledge of most cattle owners concerning bTB and its transmission pathways among people, livestock and wildlife. Although the overall proportion of animals with bTB is relatively low, herd prevalence is 50% and prevalence within herds varied considerably. Thus there is a possibility of cross transmission of bTB at wildlife-livestock interface areas that necessitates use of genetic strain typing methods to characterize them accurately.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex species cause tuberculosis disease in animals and humans. Although they share 99.9% similarity at the nucleotide level, several host-adapted ecotypes of the tubercule bacilli have been identified. In the wildlife setting, probably the most well-known member of this complex is Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis. The recently described oryx bacillus is an extremely rare slow-growing member of the antelope clade of the M. tuberculosis complex and is closely related to the dassie bacillus, Mycobacterium africanum and Mycobacterium microti. The antelope clade is a group of strains apparently host adapted to antelopes, as most described infections were associated with deer and antelope, most specifically the Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx). In this study, oryx bacillus was isolated from a free-ranging adult female African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), in good physical condition, which tested strongly positive on three consecutive comparative intradermal tuberculin tests. Upon necropsy, a single pulmonary granuloma and an active retropharyngeal lymph node was found. Comprehensive molecular genetic assays were performed, which confirmed that the causative microorganism was not M. bovis but oryx bacillus. Oryx bacillus has never been reported in Southern Africa and has never been found to infect African buffalo. The identification of this microorganism in buffalo is an important observation in view of the large and ever-increasing epidemic of the closely related M. tuberculosis complex species M. bovis in some African buffalo populations in South Africa.

A survey to determine the bovine tuberculosis status of buffalo herds north of the Olifants River in the Kruger National Park was conducted, using a new diagnostic approach. Diagnosis of Mycobacterium bovis infection was accomplished using the gamma-interferon assay technique in 608 adult buffaloes out of a total of 29 discreet herds. The animals were immobilized in groups of 10-15, bled, individually marked and then revived and released on site. As soon as test results were available (after 26-36 h), the same buffalo herd was relocated by tracking the frequency of a radio-collar previously fitted to one adult cow per group during the initial operation. Bovine reactors were identified, darted and euthanased from the helicopter. Necropsy and culture findings of all culled buffaloes showed excellent correlation with the results of the ante-mortem gamma-interferon test. The survey revealed that over and above the two positive herds that had been identified during a previous survey carried out in 1996, there were three additional, but previously unidentified, infected herds in the region north of the Olifants River.