Evaluation of rapid methods for diagnosis of tuberculosis in slaughtered free-range pigs

Fernando Cardoso-Toset; Inmaculada Luque; Shyrley Paola Amarilla; Lidia Gómez-Gascón; Layla Fernández; Belén Huerta; Librado Carrasco; Pilar Ruiz; Jaime Gómez-Laguna

doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2015.01.022

Evaluation of rapid methods for diagnosis of tuberculosis in slaughtered free-range pigs

Vet J. 2015 May;204(2):232-4. doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2015.01.022. Epub 2015 Jan 29.

Authors

Fernando Cardoso-Toset¹, Inmaculada Luque², Shyrley Paola Amarilla³, Lidia Gómez-Gascón², Layla Fernández⁴, Belén Huerta², Librado Carrasco³, Pilar Ruiz⁵, Jaime Gómez-Laguna⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Animal Health, University of Córdoba, International Excellence Agrifood Campus 'CeiA3', University Campus of Rabanales, Córdoba 14071, Spain; CICAP - Food Research Centre, Pozoblanco 14400, Córdoba, Spain. Electronic address: fcardoso@cicap.es.
² Department of Animal Health, University of Córdoba, International Excellence Agrifood Campus 'CeiA3', University Campus of Rabanales, Córdoba 14071, Spain.
³ Department of Anatomy and Comparative Pathology, University of Córdoba, International Excellence Agrifood Campus 'CeiA3', University Campus of Rabanales, Córdoba 14071, Spain.
⁴ CICAP - Food Research Centre, Pozoblanco 14400, Córdoba, Spain.
⁵ Microbiology Service, Reina Sofia University Hospital, Mycobacteria Reference Center, Avd. Méndez Pidal s/n, Córdoba 14004, Spain.

PMID: 25920761
DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2015.01.022

Abstract

Free-range pigs can be infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) and may contribute to the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB). In the present study, the diagnostic values of bacteriological culture, a duplex real-time quantitative PCR and an antibody ELISA were evaluated in an abattoir study of submandibular lymph nodes and serum samples from 73 pigs with and without lesions consistent with bTB. The duplex qPCR was an accurate method for diagnosis of TB in pigs (specificity 100%; sensitivity 80%). Combining qPCR with histopathology improved sensitivity and had very good concordance (κ = 0.94) with the reference method. Serological results suggest that the antibody ELISA can be used for monitoring herds but not individuals.

Keywords: Diagnosis; ELISA; Pigs; Real-time quantitative PCR; Tuberculosis.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Bacteriological Techniques / veterinary*
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary*
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary*
Swine
Swine Diseases / diagnosis*
Swine Diseases / pathology
Time Factors
Tuberculosis / diagnosis
Tuberculosis / veterinary*