First isolation of Mycobacterium genavense in a blue headed parrot (Pionus menstruus) imported from Surinam (South America) to the Czech Republic: a case report

In 2005 a Mycobacterium genavense infection was diagnosed in one blue-headed parrot (Pionus menstruus) imported from Surinam (South America), the first such incidence in the Czech Republic. The bird died suddenly. Histopathological examination revealed a diffuse granulomatous inflammatory reaction in the intestinal mucosa. Tissue sections of the intestines stained by Ziehl-Neelsen were microscopically positive for acid-fast bacilli. Culture examinations were made by the conventional solid media, the manual BD-BBL MGIT and the automated MGIT 960 liquid culture systems. We have detected mycobacteria by the automated MGIT 960 liquid culture system in the intestinal tissues after 92 days and on solid Herrold’s Egg Yolk Medium without Mycobactin J after 270 days. The manual BD-BBL MGIT liquid culture and the conventional culture system revealed mycobacteria after 150 days of cultivation from three and two tissues samples, respectively. M. genavense was identified by HAIN Life Science kits (GmbH, Germany) and was found to be the cause of death for the parrot, which was one of 14 exotic birds kept by its keeper. From the environment M. a. hominissuis was isolated only, which was documented by antibody detection of this member of the M. avium complex in sera samples of five birds. Three two month old common pet parakeets (Melopsittacus undulatus) were for one day in contact with drinking water contaminated by the liver suspension from the infected bird. After 12 months they were euthanized. Subsequent culture was negative for the presence of mycobacteria and histopathological examinations showed no granulomatous inflammatory reaction or any other pathological findings.