Suspected transmission of Mycobacterium bovis between alpacas

Tuberculosis in Alpacas ( Lama pacos ) Caused by Mycobacterium bovis

“…Alpacas 1 and 2 showed a combination of both nodular and diffuse patterns of TB in lungs and trachea together with ulceration of the mucosa and numerous AFB. Similar lesions have been previously reported in alpacas, other camelid species, and wild ruminants (3,14,16,21,22). On the other side, alpaca 3, which was also infected by M. bovis, showed miliary TB lining the pleural and peritoneal cavities with scarce AFB.…”

“…Transmission between alpacas by direct contact has been recently suggested (21). However, although alpaca 4 remained together with alpaca 3 all the time, M. bovis transmission by direct contact or via infected milk was not detected in this animal.…”

Cutaneous TB caused by Mycobacterium bovis in a veterinary surgeon following exposure to a tuberculous alpaca (Vicugna pacos)

“…Extensive pulmonary pathology is a common feature of M bovis -infected South American camelids (Barlow and others 1999, Twomey and others 2007, 2009) and was seen in the alpaca cria reported here. Aerosol transmission is therefore a possible route of infection for animal handlers.…”

Zoonotic diseases in South American camelids in England and Wales

“…There is also some evidence from field epidemiological investigations undertaken by APHA to suggest that TB can additionally spread between SAC premises through the movement of undetected infected camelids. [17,18] There have been two documented cases of human M. bovis infection attributed to close and/or prolonged contact with tuberculous camelids in England. The first involved a veterinary surgeon in Devon who developed a cutaneous granuloma in her thumb a few weeks after treating, euthanasing and conducting a postmortem examination on an infected alpaca with extensive TB pathology in the thorax.…”