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Title: Use of fecal volatile organic compound analysis to discriminate between non-vaccinated and BCG – vaccinated cattle prior to and after Mycobacterium bovis challenge

Author
item ELLIS, CHRISTINE - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item RICE, SOMCHAI - Iowa State University
item MAURER, DEVIN - Iowa State University
item STAHL, RANDAL - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item Waters, Wade
item Palmer, Mitchell
item NOL, PAULINE - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item RHYAN, JACK - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item VERCAUTEREN, KURT - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item KOZIEL, JACEK - Iowa State University

Submitted to: PLOS ONE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/7/2017
Publication Date: 7/7/2017
Citation: Ellis, C.K., Rice, S., Maurer, D., Stahl, R., Waters, W.R., Palmer, M.V., Nol, P., Rhyan, J.C., Vercauteren, K.C., Koziel, J. 2017. Use of fecal volatile organic compound analysis to discriminate between non-vaccinated and BCG – vaccinated cattle prior to and after Mycobacterium bovis challenge. PLoS One. 12(7):e0179914. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0179914.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0179914

Interpretive Summary: Despite highly successful eradication efforts in several countries, tuberculosis of cattle remains a serious health concern worldwide. In addition, recent outbreaks of tuberculosis in Michigan, Minnesota, California, Washington, Texas, Nebraska, Indiana, Colorado, and New Mexico demonstrate that the disease is far from eliminated from the United States. Control of bovine tuberculosis is hindered by the presence of wildlife reservoirs, such as white-tailed deer in Michigan, continued importation of tuberculosis-infected cattle from Mexico, and failure of current testing strategies to detect infected animals. Improved techniques are needed to detect tuberculosis-infected cattle and deer. In the present study, a technique to detect signatures of tuberculosis infection in fecal samples from cattle was developed. These findings demonstrate the feasibility for development of novel tests, based on detection of volatile organic compounds, to detect tuberculosis in cattle. Knowledge obtained from this study will enable the development of novel tests to detect tuberculous cattle thereby, enhancing the tuberculosis eradication program.

Technical Abstract: Bovine tuberculosis is a zoonotic disease of global public health concern. Development of diagnostic tools that improve test accuracy and efficiency in domestic livestock and enable surveillance of wildlife reservoirs would improve disease management and eradication efforts. Use of volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis in breath and fecal samples is being developed and optimized as a means to detect disease in humans and animals. In this study we demonstrate that VOCs present in fecal samples can be used to discriminate between non-vaccinated and BCG-vaccinated cattle prior to and after Mycobacterium bovis challenge.