Mycobacterium suricattae
{{Short description|Species of tuberculosis bacterium}}
{{Speciesbox
| image =
| image_caption =
| genus = Mycobacterium
| species = suricattae
| authority = Parsons et al 2013
}}
Mycobacterium suricattae is a species of the tuberculosis complex of the genus Mycobacterium. It causes tuberculosis in meerkats, and was first identified from South African animals in 2013.{{cite journal|vauthors=Parsons S, Drewe JA, Gey van Pittius NC, Warren RM, van Helden PD|title=Novel cause of tuberculosis in meerkats, South Africa|journal=Emerging Infectious Diseases|year=2013|volume=19|issue=12|pages=2004–2007|doi=10.3201/eid1912.130268|pmid=24274183|pmc=3840885}} Prior to this, it was considered to be synonymous with Mycobacterium bovis.{{cite journal|title=Who infects whom? Social networks and tuberculosis transmission in wild meerkats|author=Julian A. Drewe|journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B|year=2010|volume=277|issue=1681|pages=633–642|doi=10.1098/rspb.2009.1775|pmid=19889705|pmc=2842696}}
Transmission and symptoms
M. suricattae is transmitted by respiratory particles, bites and allogrooming.{{cite journal|vauthors=Patterson, S, Drewe, JA, Pfeiffer, DU, Clutton-Brock, TH |title=Social and environmental factors affect tuberculosis related mortality in wild meerkats|journal=Journal of Animal Ecology|year=2017|volume=86|issue=3|pages=442–450|doi=10.1111/1365-2656.12649|pmid=28186336|pmc=5413830|bibcode=2017JAnEc..86..442P }} In addition to the lungs, the spleen and liver may be infected, and submandibular lymph node swelling is a characteristic symptom.{{cite journal|vauthors=Drewe, J, Foote, A, Sutcliffe, R, Pearce, G|title= Pathology of Mycobacterium bovis infection in wild meerkats (Suricata suricatta)|journal=Journal of Comparative Pathology|year= 2009|volume= 140|issue= 1|pages= 12–24|doi=10.1016/j.jcpa.2008.09.004|pmid= 19070868|url= http://researchonline.rvc.ac.uk/id/eprint/7606/}} Lymph nodes may swell to the point of rupture, and infected animals almost invariably die within six months without intervention.
References
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{{Mycobacterium-stub}}