Molecular Characterization of Mycobacterium spp. Isolated from Cattle and Wildlife in Poland

Abstract

Although Poland is officially tuberculosis (TB) free, meaning that less than 0.1% of her cattle herd is TB-positive, the problem of bovine TB in Poland may be re-emerging: its presence has recently been confirmed in domestic and companion animals, wildlife such as the European bison, and even humans. The aim of this chapter was to review all reports of bovine TB in Poland described to date, with particular emphasis on molecular studies, and determine further research directions. These studies include a range of molecular methods for diagnosis, including genotyping, spoligotyping and MIRU- VNTR; such methods successfully identifies a tuberculosis-positive European bison as the source of wild boar infection in the Bieszczady Mountains based on its spoligotype. This chapter argues that identified trains should be better archived, as such records would allow detailed epidemiological investigations and shed greater light on the activity of Mycobacterium spp. The current epidemiological situation in Poland highlights the need for further studies to determine epidemiological links and confirm possible routes of transmission based on whole genome sequencing; this need is accentuated by the zoonotic potential of such infections and the endangered species at risk.