Piperlongumine (PL) is a bioactive alkaloid and medicinal compound of piperamide isolated from the long pepper (Piper longum Linn). It has demonstrated bactericidal action against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), the cause of pulmonary tuberculosis; nevertheless, immunomodulatory activity had not been identified for it in MTB-triggered granulomatous inflammation. This study investigated if piperlongumine could inhibit such inflammation.

Animal tuberculosis (TB) is a zoonotic disease caused by acid-fast bacteria belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). Both animals and humans are susceptible to infection by the MTBC. Interspecies transmission is also possible, including to livestock and humans. In the years 1997–2013, many tuberculosis cases were recorded in European bison in the Bieszczady Mountains; more alarmingly, TB was also recorded in wild boar in the years 2013–2020.

Piperlongumine (PL) is a bioactive alkaloid and medicinal compound of piperamide isolated from the long pepper (Piper longum Linn). It has demonstrated bactericidal action against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), the cause of pulmonary tuberculosis; nevertheless, immunomodulatory activity had not been identified for it in MTB-triggered granulomatous inflammation. This study investigated if piperlongumine could inhibit such inflammation. Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain H37Rv was subjected to a broth microdilution assay. Piperlongumine at 5, 15, and 25 μg/mL, 0.2% dimethyl sulphoxide as control or 4 μM of dexamethasone were tested in vitro on MH-S murine alveolar macrophages. BALB/c mice were orally administered PL at 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg b.w. after trehalose-6,6-dimycolate (TDM) stimulation. Chemokine and cytokine concentrations were determined in lung supernatants. Flow cytometry and Western blot analysis were performed to determine phosphorylated spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways. Piperlongumine inhibited inflammatory mediators and adherence of lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 to MH-S cells following TDM activation. It also improved macrophage clearance of MTB. In TDM-stimulated MH-S cells, PL significantly influenced the macrophage inducible Ca²⁺-dependent lectin receptor (Mincle)-Syk-ERK signalling pathway. Oral dosing of PL effectively suppressed the development of pulmonary granulomas and inflammatory reactions in the TDM-elicited mouse granuloma model. PL as an inhibitor of MTB-triggered granulomatous inflammation may be an effective complementary treatment for mycobacterial infection.

Infectious diseases of livestockare a major threat to global animal health and welfare and their effective control is crucialfor agronomic health, for safeguarding and securing national and international food supplies and for alleviating rural povertyin developing countries. Some devastating livestock diseases are endemic in many parts of the world and threats from old and new pathogens continue to emerge, with changes to global climate, agricultural practices and demography presenting conditions that are especially favourable for the spread of arthropod-borne diseases into new geographical areas. Zoonotic infections that are transmissible either directly or indirectly between animals and humans are on the increase and pose significant additional threats to human health and the current pandemic status of new influenza A (H1N1) is a topical example of the challenge presented by zoonotic viruses (Tomley and Shirley, 2009). Malaysia, being one of the members of the World Organisation forAnimal Health (OIE) which is responsible for setting standards for control of animal diseases. For year 2017, the list included 116 animal diseases, infections and infestations, many of which are zoonotic in nature. As such, this paper discusses the commonzoonotic infections diagnosed in the five Regional Veterinary Laboratories which are spread across the country and entrustedto carry out diagnostic tests to aid in the treatment and control of animal diseases. A total of almost half a million samples weretested comprising more than a million tests to help the Department of Veterinary Services control and eradicate economically important diseases to safeguard the animal population. Of these, zoonotic diseases comprise a small but significant entity which needs careful attention (Chandrawathani et al., 2017) Dora Tan (1981) reported that among the many zoonotic diseases prevalent in Malaysia, are leptospirosis, rabies, influenza, Japanese encephalitis, toxoplasmosis,ornithosis, Q fever and monkeypox which have been investigated at the lnstitute for Medical Research, Kuala Lumpur. The regional laboratories have full capability to conduct tests to confirm parasitic, viral and bacterial infections except for rabies andavian influenza, which was diagnosed in the Veterinary Research Institute. However, preliminary tests for avian influenza wascarried out in regional laboratories.

OBJECTIVE To develop a noninvasive biomarker-based detection system specific for Mycobacterium bovis for monitoring infection in wild animals. SAMPLE Serum samples from 8 experimentally infected yearling white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and 3 age-matched control deer and from 393 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources hunter-harvested white-tailed deer in northwest Minnesota. PROCEDURES 8 yearling deer were inoculated with 2 × 10(8) CFUs of virulent M bovis strain 1315 (day 0), and sera were obtained on days 0, 19, 48, and 60; sera were obtained from 3 uninoculated control deer on those same days. Sera from these deer and 9 M bovis-positive hunter-harvested deer were tested for 3 Mycobacterium-specific biomarkers (MB1895c, MB2515c, and polyketide synthase 5) by use of an indirect ELISA. That same ELISA was used to test sera obtained from 384 exposed noninfected deer in northwest Minnesota from 2007 through 2010, concurrent with an outbreak of tuberculosis involving cattle and deer in that region. RESULTS ELISA results revealed that tuberculosis infection could be detected as early as 48 days after inoculation in experimentally infected deer. Results for 384 deer sera revealed that prevalence of tuberculosis decreased over the 4-year period. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that the prevalence of tuberculosis in Minnesota deer decreased after 2009 but tuberculosis may have persisted (as subclinical disease) at extremely low levels, as indicated by the presence of low concentrations of circulating biomarkers. Biomarker-based diagnostic tests may offer a specific approach for early identification of M bovis infection.

Bovine tuberculosis represents one of the very important infectious diseases in Egypt and the world. It has zoonotic importance and causes severe economic losses. Accurate and rapid diagnosis considered as the milestone for control of the disease. In this study ELISA technique was used for confirmation of positive reactors cows that tested with single intradermal tuberculin test, to detect false positive reactors. Bovine PPD and ST.CF antigens have been used as two different coating antigens for ELISA technique. 3747 cattle from dairy farms in five different governorates were subjected to the single intradermal cervical tuberculin test whereas 78 (2.24%) proved positive reactors to tuberculin. These positive reactors tested with ELISA. 64 (82.05%) animals were positive by ELISA coated with ST-CF, while by using bovine PPD as coating antigen 58 (74.35%) animals were positive. The previous results indicated that ELISA test showed higher sensitivity and specificity using ST-CF as coating antigen than in case of bovine PPD coating antigen.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of Mycobacterium bovis infection in cattle and wild ruminants (WRs) in a wildlife-livestock interface area (WLIA) of the Mexican highland plateau. Animals: 24,400 cattle from 793 herds (including 17,351 commercially slaughtered cattle) and 142 WRs (110 white-tailed deer [Odocoileus virginianus], 20 red deer [Cervus elaphus], and 12 North American elk [Cervus canadensis]) harvested via controlled hunting. Procedures: Cattle were serially tested for M bovis infection via caudal fold tuberculin and comparative cervical tuberculin tests during field surveillance. Carcasses of cattle and WRs were inspected for gross lesions; samples suggestive of tuberculosis were analyzed via histologic evaluation and mycobacterial culture (HMC). A PCR assay to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex organisms was performed to confirm positive results of HMC. Results: WRs had inflammatory lesions in lungs and lymph nodes, although HMC results did not indicate M bovis infection. Eight cattle had positive results for both tuberculin tests, and 31 had positive results for HMC of grossly detected lesions; all were from 7 herds, and ≥ 1 cow in each herd had positive PCR assay results. These 7 herds were depopulated; adjacent herds and herds related via commerce were quarantined. Calculated true prevalence of M bovis infection was 0.86% (95% confidence interval, 0.24% to 1.49%) in cattle; M bovis was not detected in any WRs. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: M bovis infection was present in cattle. Although transmission to WRs in this WLIA was not detected, diagnosis and prevention activities should be implemented and consolidated to prevent potential M bovis transmission between cattle and WRs.

Objective-To determine whether cats exposed at a residence were infected with Mycobacterium bovis, whether the tuberculin skin test can identify cats infected with M bovis, and whether an ELISA could identify tuberculosis-infected cats. Animals-20 domestic cats exposed to a cat with laboratory-confirmed disseminated M bovis infection. Procedure-Cats were administered a tuberculin skin test and monitored for 72 hours. Blood and fecal samples were collected. Cats were then euthanatized, and postmortem examinations were performed. Tissues were examined grossly and histologically for signs of mycobacteriosis. Pooled tissue samples and fecal samples were submitted for mycobacterial culture. Blood samples were examined for evidence of tuberculosis by use of a comparative ELISA. Results-4 cats had positive responses for the ELISA, and 2 cats had suspicious responses. All tuberculin skin tests yielded negative results. No gross or histologic lesions of tuberculosis were detected in any tissues, and mycobacteria were not isolated from tissues or feces obtained from the 20 cats. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-All cats that had positive or suspicious responses for the ELISA were offspring of the cat with tuberculosis. Evidence of tuberculosis was not seen in other cats at the residence, the owner, or the attending veterinarian. The most likely source of tuberculosis for the infected cat was through the consumption of M bovis-infected wildlife carcasses or offal. Because M bovis is endemic in wildlife in northeastern Michigan, there is a risk of exposure to tuberculosis in companion animals, their owners, and attending veterinarians.

Mycobacterium bovis is the main cause of tuberculosis in wildlife. In South Africa, African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer) are a wildlife maintenance host while a number of other species are considered spillover hosts. Nyala (Tragelaphus angasii), a large antelope species from Southern Africa, is frequently traded and can be infected with M. bovis. Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) release assays that detect cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses to M. bovis infection have shown promise in elephants, rhinoceroses and buffaloes. The BOVIGAM® assay is a commercial IFN-γ release assay designed to detect tuberculosis in cattle and has been validated in buffaloes. We tested the suitability of the BOVIGAM® assay to detect native IFN-γ release in nyala. Blood samples collected from 17 nyalas were stimulated with different mitogens and IFN-γ release measured. We found that incubating whole blood with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and calcium ionophore (PMA/CaI) resulted in the highest levels of IFN-y release. Samples stimulated with tuberculin purified protein derivatives of M. bovis (PPDb) and M. avium (PPDa) did not show significant IFN-γ production. An intradermal tuberculin test (IDT) and culture of tissues from 15 of the 17 culled nyala were also performed, which supported the findings of the BOVIGAM® assay, suggesting the potential value of this assay for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in nyala.

To achieve a better diagnostic assay for the bovine tuberculosis, antigen cocktail composed of Ag85; rESAT-6 and rMPB-70 protein antigens were compared to the bovine tuberculin using ELISA test. The antigen cocktail could detect 80 % of the tuberculin negative cattle showed lesions in the post mortem examination compared to 60% with the PPD-B. For the tuberculin positive cattle, the results were 70% and 80% for the antigen cocktail and PPD-B respectively. On the other hand the antigen cocktail gave only 26.6% in sera of the tuberculin positive animals with non visible lesions compared to 53.3% with the PPD-B. 70% of the tuberculin negative cattle with localized lesions in the P/M examination reacted with the antigen cocktail compared to 50% only with the PPD-B. The results concluded the ability of the antigen cocktail to overcome the false negative results obtained with the tuberculin test and to detect the active recent infection of cattle which allow the rapid eradication of the infected animals from herds before the spread of the disease.