RRC ID 89921
Author Botta L, Cuccato M, Cormio N, Crocchianti V, Goria M, Bergeron E, Mouniée D, Rodriguez Nava V, Scaglione FE.
Title First Report of Mycobacterium bovis and Nocardia spp. Co-Infection in a Roan Antelope.
Journal Animals (Basel)
Abstract Nocardia spp. and Mycobacterium spp. are known etiological agents of granulomatous pulmonary infections in humans and animals; however, co-infections involving these pathogens have not previously been reported in veterinary medicine. This paper describes the first documented case of co-infection with Mycobacterium bovis and Nocardia spp. in a captive roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus). The animal was a 9-year-old female roan antelope from a safari park in northern Italy that died suddenly with a one-month history of weight loss. Post-mortem examination revealed severe, diffuse, chronic granulomatous pneumonia associated with fibrino-granulomatous pleuritis and granulomatous pericarditis. Histologically, multifocal to coalescing necrotizing granulomas were observed, with intralesional acid-fast bacteria. Microbiological culture and biomolecular analyses allowed the identification of M. bovis and Nocardia spp. in lung tissue samples. The Nocardia genome sequence was 98.5% similar to N. tengchongensis, a recently discovered species. The findings emphasize the importance of comprehensive diagnostic approaches in animal granulomatous lung disease. Mixed infections in captive wildlife represent a One Health concern, as the potential for zoonotic adaptation and transmission to humans cannot be excluded. Therefore, pathogen surveillance is of particular importance within zoological collections.
Volume 16(11)
Published 2026-6-4
DOI 10.3390/ani16111721
PII ani16111721
PMID 42278151
PMC PMC13255719
Resource
Pathogenic eukaryotic microorganisms Nocardia farcinica IFM 10152