BACKGROUND: @entity291 @entity378 is prevalent in Algeria despite governmental attempts to control the disease. The objective of this study was to conduct, for the first time, molecular characterization of a population sample of @entity2497 strains isolated from slaughter @entity291 in Algeria. Between August and November 2007, 7250 animals were consecutively screened at the abattoirs of Algiers and Blida. In 260 animals, gross visible @entity75 were detected and put into culture. Bacterial isolates were subsequently analysed by molecular methods. RESULTS: Altogether, 101 bacterial strains from 100 animals were subjected to molecular characterization. @entity2499 was isolated from 88 animals. Other bacteria isolated included one strain of M. caprae, four @entity5820 strains, three Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) and five strains of other bacterial species. The @entity2499 strains isolated showed 22 different spoligotype patterns; four of them had not been previously reported. The majority of @entity2499 strains (89%) showed spoligotype patterns that were previously observed in strains from European @entity291 . Variable Number of Tandem Repeat (VNTR) typing supported a link between @entity2499 strains from Algeria and France. One spoligotype pattern has also been shown to be frequent in @entity2499 strains from Mali although the VNTR pattern of the Algerian strains differed from the Malian strains. CONCLUSION: @entity2499 infections account for a high amount of @entity75 detected in Algerian slaughter @entity291 during standard meat inspection at Algiers and Blida abattoir. Molecular typing results suggested a link between Algerian and European strains of @entity2499 .

Molecular characterization of @entity2497 strains isolated from XXXX slaughtered at two abattoirs in Algeria.

@entity75 :: ('MESH:D001927', 'Disease') :: ['granulomatous lesions'] @entity5820 :: ('43767', 'Species') :: ['Rhodococcus equi'] @entity2499 :: ('28903', 'Species') :: ['M. bovis'] @entity378 :: ('MESH:D014376', 'Disease') :: ['Tuberculosis'] @entity291 :: ('9913', 'Species') :: ['cattle', 'Bovine'] @entity2497 :: ('1765', 'Species') :: ['Mycobacterium bovis']
@entity291 :: (9913,Species) :: ['cattle']
