Mycobacterium suricattae

Mycobacterium suricattae
Scientific classification
Domain:	Bacteria
Phylum:	Actinomycetota
Class:	Actinomycetia
Order:	Mycobacteriales
Family:	Mycobacteriaceae
Genus:	Mycobacterium
Species:	M. suricattae
Binomial name
Mycobacterium suricattae Parsons et al 2013[1]

Mycobacterium suricattae is a species of the tuberculosis complex of the genus Mycobacterium. It causes tuberculosis in meerkats, and was first identified from South African animals in 2013.[1] Prior to this, it was considered to be synonymous with Mycobacterium bovis.[2][3]

Transmission and symptoms

M. suricattae is transmitted by respiratory particles, bites and allogrooming.[4] In addition to the lungs, the spleen and liver may be infected, and submandibular lymph node swelling is a characteristic symptom.[3] Lymph nodes may swell to the point of rupture, and infected animals almost invariably die within six months without intervention.[4]

References

1. Parsons S, Drewe JA, Gey van Pittius NC, Warren RM, van Helden PD (2013). "Novel cause of tuberculosis in meerkats, South Africa". Emerging Infectious Diseases. 19 (12): 2004–2007. doi:10.3201/eid1912.130268. PMC 3840885. PMID 24274183.
2. Julian A. Drewe (2010). "Who infects whom? Social networks and tuberculosis transmission in wild meerkats". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 277 (1681): 633–642. doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.1775. PMC 2842696. PMID 19889705.
3. Drewe, J, Foote, A, Sutcliffe, R, Pearce, G (2009). "Pathology of Mycobacterium bovis infection in wild meerkats (Suricata suricatta)". Journal of Comparative Pathology. 140 (1): 12–24. doi:10.1016/j.jcpa.2008.09.004. PMID 19070868.
4. Patterson, S, Drewe, JA, Pfeiffer, DU, Clutton-Brock, TH (2017). "Social and environmental factors affect tuberculosis related mortality in wild meerkats". Journal of Animal Ecology. 86 (3): 442–450. Bibcode:2017JAnEc..86..442P. doi:10.1111/1365-2656.12649. PMC 5413830. PMID 28186336.