Pulmonary tuberculosis with evidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a Golden Retriever

Subject: A six-year-old Golden Retriever was presented with respiratory symptoms. The owner of the animal suffered from an open (cavitary) tuberculosis due to an infection with Mycobacterium (M.) tuberculosis. Material and methods: Clinical, x-ray, pathomorphological and microbiological examinations were performed. Results: Clinically, the dog showed coughing, and radiography revealed a cloudy appearance of the thorax. On postmortem examination, a granulomatous inflammation of lung, lung lymph nodes and adrenal gland, histopathologically consistent with tuberculosis, was diagnosed. Mycobacteria of the M. tuberculosis complex were detected by bacterial culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in tissue samples from the lung and pulmonary lymph nodes. By spoligotyping, the agent was identified as M. tuberculosis. These results in association with the anamnestic data lead to the conclusion that the tuberculosis in this Golden Retriever was due to transmission of M. tuberculosis frorn the owner to her dog. Conclusion and clinical relevance: Such animals represent a potential risk of infection for humans and animals in their surroundings.