Mycobacterium Bovis Characterization through RD4 Deletion and Spoligotyping Techniques

Abstract

A cross sectional study was conducted on 753 Cattle which selected using systematic random sampling technique from December 2015 to May 2016 to isolate Mycobacterium bovis and its molecular characterization from cattle slaughtered at Hawassa University and Municipal abattoirs. The methods used were postmortem examination, bacteriological culturing, RD4 deletion typing and Spoligotyping. The overall prevalence of the bovine tuberculosis was 5.8% (95%CI: 4.17-8.52) on the basis of detailed postmortem examination. Out of 44 tissue samples cultured, 24 (54.5%) were culture positive and all were acid fast staining positive. However, using RD4 deletion only three isolates were confirmed as Mycobacterium bovis. The further Spoligotyping characterizations of these three isolates revealed the strain SB1477. Most of the lesions were found in thoracic cavity lymph nodes (75%), which indicated that respiratory route was the main mode of infection in the study area. Hence, the study confirmed that the low prevalence of BTB and the current Mycobacterium bovis strain circulate in the cattle population being SB1477. Therefore, further investigation needed including large study areas for epidemiological information on circulating strains, ways of transmission and molecular diversity of the M. bovis strains. further investigation at large area needed to have the current epidemiological data on the circulating strains, transmission and molecular diversity of the M. bovis.