New TB pathogen discovered
Thursday, September 30, 2010 - 11:28
in Health & Medicine
In studies of banded mongoose in Botswana, researchers have discovered a novel tuberculosis species in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. Unlike other species of tuberculosis, which typically present as a chronic disease, M. mungi usually kills infected banded mongoose within two to three months after symptoms develop, with outbreaks occurring in a largely seasonal pattern.