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There is an increasingly urgent need to improve our ability to accurately forecast and control zoonotic diseases in wildlife reservoirs. We are confronted, however, with the continued challenge of accurately determining host infection status across space and time. This dilemma is epitomized with the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex (MTBC) pathogens and particularly in free-ranging wildlife, a critical global challenge for both human and animal health. In humans, transcriptional markers have been increasingly identified as a robust tool for diagnosing Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection status but have rarely been utilized for diagnosing TB in free-ranging wildlife populations. Here, we report the first use of transcriptional markers to evaluate TB infection status in a free-ranging wildlife species, banded mongoose (Mungos mungo), infected with the MTBC pathogen, Mycobacterium mungi. In this study, we found that GBP5 and DUSP3 were significantly upregulated in free-ranging banded mongoose infected with M. mungi. These results provide the first step in developing an antemortem diagnostic tool for use in free-ranging wildlife species. Our results highlight the potential of transcriptional marker-based assays to advance our ability to detect and manage TB in free-ranging wildlife, especially in field studies and other scenarios when conventional diagnostics are not feasible.
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This content will become publicly available on February 1, 2026
Detection of Mycobacterium bovis in Free‐Ranging Sapajus nigritus , Argentina
ABSTRACT Mycobacterium bovisandMycobacterium tuberculosisare the most relevant among pathogenic mycobacteria, both belonging to theM. tuberculosiscomplex (MTC). Samples of blood, liver, spleen, kidneys, lungs and caseous tubercles were collected from a free‐ranging juvenile black capuchin monkey (Sapajus nigritus) showing non‐specific signs of illness. Macroscopic findings included emaciation, a caseous lesion in a tooth and gingiva, disseminated nodules in both lungs and left kidney parenchyma and caseous nodules on the pleura and mesentery. The lesions suggested MTC infection, a diagnosis subsequently supported in the lung by bacilloscopy, immunochromatography and PCR. A multiplex PCR further validated the presence ofM. bovisgenes. Cases of tuberculosis in platyrrhine primates have only been reported in animals maintained in captivity. We describe for the first time the pathological and molecular findings ofM. bovisinfection in a free‐ranging platyrrhine monkey within an area of intense human–wildlife interaction, which has important implications from a One Health perspective.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2127374
- PAR ID:
- 10570004
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Zoonoses and Public Health
- Volume:
- 72
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 1863-1959
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 95 to 99
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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