First Confirmed Case of Zoonotic Transmission of RR-TB from a Dog to a Human, a Neglected Mode of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Infection—Case Report and Review of the Literature
<i>Mycobacterium (M.) tuberculosis</i> mostly spreads from active tuberculosis (TB) patients to human contacts, although human-to-animal and animal-to-human transmission has been described. Here, we present a rare case of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) transmission from a comp...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/7/684 |
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| author | Ljiljana Zmak Marija Gomercic Palcic Mihaela Obrovac Ivana Folnozic Drazen Strelec Irena Reil Ana Miljan Maja Zdelar-Tuk Sanja Duvnjak Diana Mihalac Danka Jovetic Silvio Spicic |
| author_facet | Ljiljana Zmak Marija Gomercic Palcic Mihaela Obrovac Ivana Folnozic Drazen Strelec Irena Reil Ana Miljan Maja Zdelar-Tuk Sanja Duvnjak Diana Mihalac Danka Jovetic Silvio Spicic |
| author_sort | Ljiljana Zmak |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Mycobacterium (M.) tuberculosis</i> mostly spreads from active tuberculosis (TB) patients to human contacts, although human-to-animal and animal-to-human transmission has been described. Here, we present a rare case of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) transmission from a companion dog to its owner, highlighting the zoonotic potential of the pathogen. Namely, a 37-year-old Croatian man was diagnosed with RR-TB, with whole-genome sequencing analysis revealing a close genetic link to the strain isolated from his dog, which had died of miliary TB six years earlier. This case emphasizes the complexity of TB transmission dynamics, particularly involving companion animals, and underlines the importance of integrated “One Health” approaches for TB control. Awareness of zoonotic TB risks is essential for the early detection and prevention of cross-species transmission, especially in vulnerable populations and households with close human–animal contact. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-87560afa06e942d1a8907077682d847a |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj-art-87560afa06e942d1a8907077682d847a2025-08-20T03:08:13ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172025-07-0114768410.3390/pathogens14070684First Confirmed Case of Zoonotic Transmission of RR-TB from a Dog to a Human, a Neglected Mode of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Infection—Case Report and Review of the LiteratureLjiljana Zmak0Marija Gomercic Palcic1Mihaela Obrovac2Ivana Folnozic3Drazen Strelec4Irena Reil5Ana Miljan6Maja Zdelar-Tuk7Sanja Duvnjak8Diana Mihalac9Danka Jovetic10Silvio Spicic11Microbiology Division, Department for Tuberculosis, Croatian Institute of Public Health, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaSchool of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaMicrobiology Division, Department for Tuberculosis, Croatian Institute of Public Health, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaDivision of Pulmology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital Center, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaDepartment for Lung Diseases and Resistant TB, Service for Lung Diseases and Tuberculosis Klenovnik, Varaždin General Hospital, 42244 Klenovnik, CroatiaLaboratory for Bacterial Zoonosis and Molecular Diagnostics of Bacterial Diseases, Department of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Croatian Veterinary Institute, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaVeterinary Practice “Mačji Kašalj”, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaLaboratory for Bacterial Zoonosis and Molecular Diagnostics of Bacterial Diseases, Department of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Croatian Veterinary Institute, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaLaboratory for Bacterial Zoonosis and Molecular Diagnostics of Bacterial Diseases, Department of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Croatian Veterinary Institute, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaEpidemiology Division, Andrija Štampar Teaching Institute of Public Health, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaMicrobiology Division, Public Health Institute of Dubrovnik-Neretva County, 20000 Dubrovnik, CroatiaLaboratory for Bacterial Zoonosis and Molecular Diagnostics of Bacterial Diseases, Department of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Croatian Veterinary Institute, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia<i>Mycobacterium (M.) tuberculosis</i> mostly spreads from active tuberculosis (TB) patients to human contacts, although human-to-animal and animal-to-human transmission has been described. Here, we present a rare case of rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) transmission from a companion dog to its owner, highlighting the zoonotic potential of the pathogen. Namely, a 37-year-old Croatian man was diagnosed with RR-TB, with whole-genome sequencing analysis revealing a close genetic link to the strain isolated from his dog, which had died of miliary TB six years earlier. This case emphasizes the complexity of TB transmission dynamics, particularly involving companion animals, and underlines the importance of integrated “One Health” approaches for TB control. Awareness of zoonotic TB risks is essential for the early detection and prevention of cross-species transmission, especially in vulnerable populations and households with close human–animal contact.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/7/684<i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i>RR/MDR-TBzoonosesdog–human transmission |
| spellingShingle | Ljiljana Zmak Marija Gomercic Palcic Mihaela Obrovac Ivana Folnozic Drazen Strelec Irena Reil Ana Miljan Maja Zdelar-Tuk Sanja Duvnjak Diana Mihalac Danka Jovetic Silvio Spicic First Confirmed Case of Zoonotic Transmission of RR-TB from a Dog to a Human, a Neglected Mode of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Infection—Case Report and Review of the Literature Pathogens <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> RR/MDR-TB zoonoses dog–human transmission |
| title | First Confirmed Case of Zoonotic Transmission of RR-TB from a Dog to a Human, a Neglected Mode of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Infection—Case Report and Review of the Literature |
| title_full | First Confirmed Case of Zoonotic Transmission of RR-TB from a Dog to a Human, a Neglected Mode of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Infection—Case Report and Review of the Literature |
| title_fullStr | First Confirmed Case of Zoonotic Transmission of RR-TB from a Dog to a Human, a Neglected Mode of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Infection—Case Report and Review of the Literature |
| title_full_unstemmed | First Confirmed Case of Zoonotic Transmission of RR-TB from a Dog to a Human, a Neglected Mode of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Infection—Case Report and Review of the Literature |
| title_short | First Confirmed Case of Zoonotic Transmission of RR-TB from a Dog to a Human, a Neglected Mode of <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> Infection—Case Report and Review of the Literature |
| title_sort | first confirmed case of zoonotic transmission of rr tb from a dog to a human a neglected mode of i mycobacterium tuberculosis i infection case report and review of the literature |
| topic | <i>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</i> RR/MDR-TB zoonoses dog–human transmission |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/7/684 |
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