2004 Volume 57 Issue 2 Pages 117-120
Multiplex PCR tests identified 69 strains of mycobacteria originated in pigs from 5 Japanese meat-inspection centers as Mycobacterium avium (M. avium). The sensitivities of 24 strains to 9 antibiotics were tested. All strains were shown to be 8 times more sensitive to streptomycin, rifampicin, clarithromycin, and amikacin than is indicated by previously reported data on M. avium strains originating in human beings [10]. Measurements of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production by spleen cells or blood monocytes isolated from normal or infected pigs showed that IFN-γwas produced in the swine-mycobacteriosis group if they were stimulated by the M. avium antigen in vitro. No production was observed in the healthy control group. This suggests that IFN-γassay is a valuable method for diagnosis of M. avium infection in swine.