MYCOBACTERIOSIS ON PIGS DUE TO MYCOBACTER IUM-AVIUM-INTRACELLULARE

Investigations of pig herds with a high incidence of tuberculosis reve aled infection with several strains of Mycobacterium avium-intracellul are. It was not possible to identify some of the strains as serovars 1 -28, others were identified as serovars 4, 8, 13, 17, 19 and 25. There are no previous reports of serovars 13 and 19 associated with tubercu losis in pigs. Serological examinations of in-contact animals revealed the presence of antibodies, but the strains identified did not corres pond to antigens used in the slide agglutination test. Samples from he rds with no problem did not produce any reaction with the serovars in the slide agglutination tests. The slide agglutination test is therefo re a valid diagnostic method of the identification of M. avium-intrace llulare infection in pigs. Pathological and histological examinations of organs with macroscopic lesions revealed the presence of atypical f orms of tuberculosis which might be overlooked during meat inspection.