Molecular Characterization MTB

**81**

**1. Introduction**

**Chapter 6**

**Abstract**

Molecular Characterization of

Cattle and Wildlife in Poland

*Anna Didkowska, Monika Krajewska-Wędzina,* 

*Ewa Augustynowicz-Kopeć and Krzysztof Anusz*

potential of such infections and the endangered species at risk.

*Mycobacterium caprae*, *Mycobacterium bovis*, Poland

**Keywords:** epidemiological investigation, European bison, molecular methods,

Bovine tuberculosis is a highly-contagious bacterial disease whose etiological agents are the acid-fast bovine mycobacteria species *Mycobacterium bovis* and *Mycobacterium caprae*. These two species can also cause tuberculosis in humans, although infection with *Mycobacterium tuberculosis* is more common. Although Poland has been an officially tuberculosis free (OTF) country since 2009, cases are still noted in cattle. In addition, *M. bovis* infection has been observed in emergency cases in alpacas and *M. caprae* has been found in endangered European bison (*Bison bonasus*). Tuberculosis infection has been observed in various other wildlife. The aim of this chapter is to present the epizootic situation of bovine tuberculosis in

*Blanka Orłowska, Monika Kozińska,* 

*Mycobacterium* spp. Isolated from

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
