Fine-tuning mycobacterial epidemiology in DNP allowed rising a number of relevant questions: (1) Do hosts get infected twice by M. bovis and MOTT, and can this interfere in M. bovis infection or vice versa? (2) Have new M. bovis types appeared or have any changes in type composition taken place in recent years? (3) Is there an effect of the social group on infection risk? (4) Is there a spatial structure in mycobacteria distribution? (5) Are there species-specific variants of mycobacteria that could be attributed to species-specific Selleck FDA approved Drug Library behavior patterns (including

inter-specific interaction) and/or to advanced host species-pathogen interactions? Methods Study area The study was carried out in DNP, located in south-western Spain (37°0′ N, 6°30′ W) and covering 54,000 Ha. This is a flat region of sandy soils bordering the Atlantic Ocean, with a maximum elevation of 47 m. The climate is Mediterranean sub-humid with marked seasons. In the wet season Selleckchem MG-132 (winter and spring), most of the marshlands are flooded and wildlife and cattle tend to graze in the more elevated scrublands [37]. In summer, the wetter and more productive ecotone between the scrublands and the marshes supports aggregations of wild and domestic ungulates. Human access is restricted and management is carried out by Park authorities. Limited

traditional exploitation of some natural resources, such as logging, and cattle and horse rising are allowed. After 1994, when bTB in wildlife was first diagnosed in DNP a Government-sponsored program was initiated to eradicate bTB-positive cattle. Ungulate populations have been culled by shooting (between 200 and 500 individuals/year,

the majority of them wild boar, or about 10-20% of the wild ungulate population estimated at 3,500 individuals). Animal sampling From April 2006 to April 2007, 124 European wild boar, 95 red deer, and 100 fallow deer were sampled within the park by shooting. The culling of wild ungulates was approved by the Research Commission of Doñana National Park in accordance with management Interleukin-2 receptor rules established by the Autonomous Government of Andalucía. For each animal we recorded the exact position with GPS. Sex and age, based on tooth eruption patterns (animals less than 12 months old were classified as juveniles, those between 12 and 24 months as yearlings, and those more than 2 years old as adults; [38]), were recorded in the field. A necropsy was performed on site and the presence of tuberculosis-like lesions recorded by macroscopic inspection of lymph nodes and abdominal and thoracic organs [6]. This protocol included the examination of the lungs for the presence of TB-compatible macroscopic lesions during field inspection and a sample was collected. A tonsil and a head lymph node sample from each individual were collected for culture (Figure 1; Table 1).