A case of generalized bovine tuberculosis in a sheep

Abstract

The present report describes a rare case of generalized bovine-type tuberculosis in a slaughtered 4-year-old ewe discovered during routine surveillance at an abattoir. A postmortem examination revealed lesions in the ewe's thoracic and abdominal cavities, ranging from encapsulated, mineralized foci to extensive, soft, caseous tissue. Lesions in the lungs, liver, and lymph nodes were consistent with mycobacterial infection. A histopathological examination detected granulomatous lesions in all tissue samples. The presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex genome was confirmed through a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of tissues, using IS6110 primers, followed by a nucleotide sequence analysis of PCR products. Acid-fast bacteria, characterized as Mycobacterium bovis, were isolated from lesions following 38 days of incubation.