Title of article :
Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Dual M. tuberculosis/M. bovis Infection as the Cause of Tuberculosis in a Gorilla and a Lioness, Respectively, in Ibadan Zoo, Nigeria
Author/Authors :
Adeogun, Aina Department of Zoology - University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria , Omobowale, Olutayo Department of Veterinary Medicine - University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria , Owuamanam, Chiaka Zoological Garden - University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria , Alaka, Olugbenga Department of Veterinary Pathology - University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria , Taiwo, Victor Department of Veterinary Pathology - University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria , van Soolingen, Dick Department of Pulmonary Diseases and Department of Clinical Microbiology - Radboud University - Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands , Cadmus, Simeon Tuberculosis and Brucellosis Research Laboratories - Department of Veterinary Public Health & Preventive Medicine - University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
Abstract :
Tuberculosis (TB) in zoo animals is an important public health problem in places where it occurs. This is even very important in
countries where there is little public health awareness about the disease; thus confined animals in the zoo can be infected directly or
indirectly by infected humans and vice versa. In Nigeria, the problem of TB is a major concern among both humans and cattle. Here,
we present cases of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and M. tuberculosis/M. bovis infections in a female gorilla and a lioness, respectively,
in a zoo in Ibadan, Nigeria. These cases were confirmed after bacteriological examinations and DNA from granulomatous lesions
of the animals’ carcasses were subjected to the Hain and spoligotyping techniques. Our findings reveal the first documented report
of TB infections in a gorilla and a lioness in zoo animals in Nigeria. The public health risks of tuberculosis in zoological settings are
therefore reemphasized.
