Intra-Palpebral Tuberculin Skin Test and Interferon Gamma Release Assay in Diagnosing Tuberculosis Due to Mycobacterium caprae in European Bison ( Bison bonasus ).

Despite the threat posed by tuberculosis (TB) to the protected European bison ( Bison bonasus ), no validated TB tests exist for this species. This pilot study evaluates two tests based on detecting cellular immunity for this purpose: interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) and tuberculin skin test (TST). Ten animals were subjected to ante-mortem and post-mortem examinations. IGRA was performed using a commercial test, and the comparative TST was performed in the eyelids. The lesions were assessed post-mortem and material was collected for mycobacterial culture. The isolated strains were subjected to genotyping. At post-mortem examination, five out of ten individuals demonstrated both tuberculous lesions and positive culture results ( Mycobacterium caprae ). Compared to the palpebral TST, the findings of the IGRA are easier to interpret when diagnosing tuberculosis in European bison.