Abstract
The intradermal inoculation of four badgers with small numbers of Mycobacterium bovis resulted in localized lesions with ulceration which slowly healed by 5 months after inoculation. Lesions of generalized tuberculosis were seen in three badgers, one of which died at 17 months post-inoculation and in the remaining two killed 22 months post-inoculation. In the fourth badger lesions were confined to the draining lymph node of the inoculation site but M. bovis was isolated from the liver. Monthly clinical sampling of faeces, urine, tracheal aspirate and inoculation site exudates detected only the excretion of M. bovis from the inoculation site of one badger. There were marked seasonal variations in body weight but significant weight loss was observed during the second year in all four badgers, particularly prior to death. Four badgers inoculated intratracheally with a similar inoculum of M. bovis and another two control badgers showed no evidence of infection with M. bovis.
Full text
PDF









Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Barrow P. A., Gallagher J. Aspects of the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis in badgers and cattle. I. The prevalence of infection in two wild animal populations in south-west England. J Hyg (Lond) 1981 Jun;86(3):237–245. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400068984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Beutler B., Greenwald D., Hulmes J. D., Chang M., Pan Y. C., Mathison J., Ulevitch R., Cerami A. Identity of tumour necrosis factor and the macrophage-secreted factor cachectin. Nature. 1985 Aug 8;316(6028):552–554. doi: 10.1038/316552a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Gallagher J., Horwill D. M. A selective oleic acid albumin agar medium for the cultivation of Mycobacterium bovis. J Hyg (Lond) 1977 Aug;79(1):155–160. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400052943. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Gallagher J., Nelson J. Cause of ill health and natural death in badgers in Gloucestershire. Vet Rec. 1979 Dec 15;105(24):546–551. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Higgins D. A., Kung I. T., Or R. S. Environmental silica in badger lungs: a possible association with susceptibility to Mycobacterium bovis infection. Infect Immun. 1985 Apr;48(1):252–256. doi: 10.1128/iai.48.1.252-256.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Inman P. M., Beck A., Brown A. E., Stanford J. L. Outbreak of injection abscesses due to Mycobacterium abscessus. Arch Dermatol. 1969 Aug;100(2):141–147. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- LESSLIE I. W. A comparison of biological and some cultural methods for the primary isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. J Comp Pathol. 1959 Jan;69(1):1–10. doi: 10.1016/s0368-1742(59)80001-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Little T. W., Naylor P. F., Wilesmith J. W. Laboratory study of Mycobacterium bovis infection in badgers and calves. Vet Rec. 1982 Dec 11;111(24):550–557. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Little T. W., Swan C., Thompson H. V., Wilesmith J. W. Bovine tuberculosis in domestic and wild mammals in an area of Dorset. II. The badger population, its ecology and tuberculosis status. J Hyg (Lond) 1982 Oct;89(2):211–224. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400070741. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mackintosh C. G., MacArthur J. A., Little T. W., Stuart P. The immobilization of the badger (Meles meles). Br Vet J. 1976 Nov-Dec;132(6):609–614. doi: 10.1016/s0007-1935(17)34537-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mahmood K. H., Rook G. A., Stanford J. L., Stuart F. A., Pritchard D. G. The immunological consequences of challenge with bovine tubercle bacilli in badgers (Meles meles). Epidemiol Infect. 1987 Apr;98(2):155–163. doi: 10.1017/s0950268800061860. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Marks J. A system for the examination of tubercle bacilli and other mycobacteria. Tubercle. 1976 Sep;57(3):207–225. doi: 10.1016/0041-3879(76)90030-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Murhead R. H., Burns K. J. Tuberculosis in wild badgers in Gloucestershire: epidemiology. Vet Rec. 1974 Dec 14;95(24):552–555. doi: 10.1136/vr.95.24.552. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Pritchard D. G., Stuart F. A., Wilesmith J. W., Cheeseman C. L., Brewer J. I., Bode R., Sayers P. E. Tuberculosis in East Sussex. III. Comparison of post-mortem and clinical methods for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in badgers. J Hyg (Lond) 1986 Aug;97(1):27–36. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400064329. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wilesmith J. W. Epidemiological features of bovine tuberculosis in cattle herds in Great Britain. J Hyg (Lond) 1983 Apr;90(2):159–176. doi: 10.1017/s0022172400028837. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]