Abstract:
In South Africa, African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer) are one of the wildlife maintenance
hosts for bovine tuberculosis (BTB) and play a key role in the spread of the disease to other wildlife
species and potentially back to cattle. We report a trace-back investigation following the diagnosis of
BTB in a previously BTB-free provincial game reserve, founded in the early 1990s in the North West
Province of South Africa (SA). Using the intradermal tuberculin and interferon gamma tests, we
detected Mycobacterium bovis infection in captured African buffaloes intended for sale. Detection of
M. bovis was confirmed by culture and PCR. Molecular typing of M. bovis isolates from three African
buffaloes revealed spoligotype SB0140 and a variable number of tandem repeat genotypes which had
been previously isolated from wildlife in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of SA. Diagnosis of BTB in a
previously uninfected buffalo population provides evidence that the disease can be introduced into an
ecosystem through the translocation of untested plains game species. We further illustrate how BTB
can remain unnoticed for considerable periods of time in free-ranging wildlife populations and
emphasize the need for validated diagnostic tests for application in suitable and practical monitoring
programs. This is especially important for species with maintenance host potential and those in high
demand at game auctions.
