First report of tuberculosis in a cat from Italy caused by <i>Mycobacterium africanum</i>, lineage 6: genomic characterization and phylogenetic analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Tuberculosis in humans is mainly caused by two closely related bacteria within the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), which are Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium africanum. M. tuberculosis is widely spread, while M. africanum is more ecologically restricted to Africa.

Methods and results

In 2023, we examined a skin biopsy from a 3-year-old female domestic cat with multifocal nodular cutaneous lesions and respiratory problems. The animal was an indoor cat kept in Rome, reportedly taken in as a stray kitten from a village in southern Italy (Central Calabria Region). Skin histology with Ziehl-Neelsen staining was consistent with suspected mycobacteriosis. Bacterial cultures for Mycobacterium spp. yielded

SUBMITTER: Alba P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12434073 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature