Mycobacteria in the animal’s environment in the Czech Republic

The “atypical mycobacteria ” are widely distributed in the natural environment and can produce infection in farm and wild animals bred in captivity. The objective of the study was to analyze the variety of mycobacterial species in the environment of breeding facilities, tanks and aquariums, as well as in samples of peat used as a feed supplement in the Czech Republic over the 2003-2004 period. A total of 1389 samples from environment were examined, collected from 29 sites throughout the Czech Republic. The samples were decontaminated and cultured at 25 °C and 37 °C in three culture media: Stonebrink’s medium, Herrold’s egg yolk medium and Sula’s medium. Mycobacterial isolates grown were identified by the PCR method and growth and biochemical tests. Of the 1389 environmental samples, mycobacteria were demonstrated by culture in 400 (28.8%) of them originating from different substances. In the samples of farm environment and in peat, mycobacteria were isolated in 185 of 1064 (17.4%) samples, and in 201 of 325 (61.8%) samples from aquarium and breeding tank environment. The results show significant difference between the findings from the stable environment (17.4%) and those from the aquarium environment (61.8%). A wide range of species was found in all constituents of the environment. The following species were most frequently isolated from the stable environment: M. avium (6.5%), M. fortuitum (3.2%), M. flavescens (3.2%), and the aquarium environment harboured most frequently M. fortuitum (13.9%), M. marinum (8.0%) and M. gordonae (4.5%). The results confirm the frequent occurrence of various mycobacterial species in the environment, predominantly in aquariums, some of which can produce infection in animals and in man following contact with the infected environment