Mycobacterium uberis infection in the subcutaneous tissue of the radius/ulna area of a cow

Abstract

Mycobacterium uberis (M. uberis) is a recently described non-tuberculous mycobacterium phylogenetically close to Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) and Mycobacterium lepromatosis (M. lepromatosis). This pathogen classically causes nodular thelitis in cattle and goats. Here, we discuss what seems to be the first described case of M. uberis infection in a novel anatomical site, in the proximal or distal position (information not available) of the radius/ulna area of a cow. As this case was discovered in the framework of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) surveillance program in France, this type of infection could interfere with the screening and diagnostic tools employed for bTB.