Mycobacteriosis in Pigs – An Underrated Threat

Abstract

Although Mycobacterium avium subspecies are generally not considered food pathogens, the infections caused by these particular nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) can represent a serious threat to immunocompromised population. Additionally, infections with a member of Mycobacterium Avium Compex (MAC) can affect the effi ciency of BCG vaccines used for the humans. In infected animals, M. avium may be present in different tissues without apparent clinical symptoms and macroscopic lesions. Veterinary meat inspection would then fail to recognize infected animals and such meat and meat products thereof could enter the human diet. The aim of this paper is also to analyze the current control policy in Europe according to infections of pigs with the members of MAC, and point out the risks for public health. By analyzing a large number of meat samples and other dietary nutrients, different groups of authors have provided evidence to support the hypothesis that M. avium is present in the everyday environment. Therefore, food as a source of infection with mycobacteria should not be ignored. The control of mycobacteria requires a better diagnostic approach, having in mind recent positive cases of M. avium subspecies hominissuis (MAH) in an increasing number of exported pigs from EU countries to Serbia. The introduction of reliable diagnostic methods for MAH could result in decreasing the occurrence of infection in pigs, as well as in humans, having in mind that WHO reported 10 million new cases of tuberculosis-mycobacteriosis in the human population in 2015 with 21% of these cases occurring in immunocompromised individuals and children.

Association of the severity of lung lesions with carcass and meat quality in slaughter pigs

“…Over the last few decades, lung lesions have represented one of the most important health and welfare issues in intensive pig farming worldwide (Flesja and Ulvesaeter, 1980;Ujvári et al, 2015;Palzer et al, 2015;Sárközi et al, 2015;Čobanović et al, 2016a;Lukač et al, 2016;Polaček and Aleksić-Kovačević, 2016). They cause significant financial losses to the pig industry, arising from reduced growth rate and feed conversion, high morbidity and mortality, increased medication costs, condemnation of offal and carcasses, and lower carcass quality (Ostanello et al, 2007;Becskei et al, 2010;Fraile et al, 2010;Toplak et al, 2012;Čobanović et al, 2015;Štukelj et al, 2015;Szeredi et al, 2015).…”

Macroscopical changes in the heart and blood vessels of household and decorative birds with tuberculosis

“…Актуальність теми. Проблемі зв'язку розвитку патологій людей та тварин із інфікуванням нетуберкульозними мікобактеріями, зокрема, Mycobacterium avium complex, присвячена численна кількість публікацій (Crilly, Ayeh, & Karakousis, 2021;Zhurylo, Barbova, & Cladkova, 2020;Ratnatunga et al, 2020;Azar, Zimbric, Shedden, & Caverly, 2019;Kreutz-Rodrigues, & Bakri, 2019;Schiff et al, 2019;Krajewska-Wędzina, Dąbrowska, Augustynowicz-Kopeć, Weiner, & Szulowski, 2019;Lande et al, 2019;Auguste, Patel, & Siemieniuk, 2018;Honda, Virdi, & Chan, 2018;Lande, George, & Plush, 2018;Hwang, Kim, Jo, & Shim, 2017;Nishiuchi, Iwamoto, & Maruyama, 2017;Srivastava, Dahiya, Singh, & Kulshreshtha, 2017;Polaček, & Aleksić-Kovačević, 2016). У той же час, нові складні випадки коінфекції Mycobacterium tuberculosis/Mycobacterium avium complex (чи інших нетипових мікобактерій та вірусу імунодефіциту людини), вимагають удосконалення підходів щодо їх діагностики та трактування патогенезу (Santos-Pereira, Magalhгes, Arajo, & Osуrio, 2021;Sharma, Latawa, Wanchu, & Verma, 2021;Bazzi, Abulhamayel, Rabaan, & Al-Tawfiq, 2020;Abdeldaim, Svensson, Blomberg, & Herrmann, 2016;Rocchetti, Silbert, Gostnell, Kubasek, & Widen, 2016;Danelishvili et al, 2015).…”

Mycobacteriosis in slaughter pigs from South Africa from 1991 to 2002: Mycobacterium spp. diversity and Mycobacterium avium complex genotypes

“…Calcification of tubercles, inflamed lymph nodes (lymphadenitis) and tuberculosis-like granulomas are the most common features of mycobacteriosis in pigs ( Agdestein et al, 2014 ). Mycobacterial infection in pigs is mainly asymptomatic; as such, lesions are mostly detected during slaughter ( Polaček and Aleksić-Kovačević, 2016 ). Some studies have reported clinical signs-like abortion and wasting due to MAH in pigs ( Wellenberg et al, 2010 ; Eisenberg et al, 2012 ).…”

“…On the other hand, some studies have reported infection of pigs with MAC and other mycobacteria, to present no detectable clinical signs and the granuloma appear very minute (Agdestein et al, 2011(Agdestein et al, , 2012. As such, pigs infected with mycobacteria can be missed during inspection at slaughter and the meat may enter the human food chain posing a serious public health threat especially to the immuno-compromised individuals, children, and the elderly (Polaček and Aleksić-Kovačević, 2016). Despite these findings, meat inspection is still an important practice for identification of pig mycobacterial infections in order to mitigate the risk of human exposure.…”