# What is TB in Frogs?



## mlou1531 (Dec 22, 2006)

I found out last night (after they had been acting weird for a week) that two of my frogs have wounds on their toepads and were bleeding. I sent a picture to Dr. Frye...he told me how to treat them and said if they don't get better in two weeks I should be concerned about TB...he isn't talking about Tuberculosis is he? Do frogs get that...or is it something totally different?
Here is what one of them looks like...


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## Herpvet (May 23, 2008)

Hi mlou,

Tb in frogs refers to mycobacterial infection. Mycobacteria are a group of bacteria which include the main human TB organism (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), although that organism has, as far as I'm aware, never caused disease in amphibians. Several species have been implicated in amphibian disease - exact classifications vary - I can look out a list if you want.

Also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycobacteria for more information than you could want on mycobacteria generally

Anyway, various mycobacteria (also referred to as acid-fast organisms due to their staining characteristics) can cause varying disease syndromes in amphibia, usually associated with internal and/or external granulomata (chronic abscesses). Unfortunately, like the human TB organism, they tend to be very resistant to antibiotic treatments, and as far as I know no successful treatment has been recorded in amphibia. Most books recommend euthanasia of amphibians if mycobacterial disease is confirmed unfortunately.

In your case smears from the lesion could be prepared and stained to try to find the acid fast organisms, although they can be elusive. You would need to see a vet for that - which I would recommend anyway if possible in your case.

Note that these can cause nodular disease in humans, so you need to be very careful about hygiene.

Sorry just a brief summary. Hope this helps.

Bruce


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## mlou1531 (Dec 22, 2006)

Thank you for the information. We took him out of the cage (the other frogs seem to be doing fine) and I have been wearing gloves esp now since I have to hold him. I just got some Sliver Sulfadiazene today...and have been treating him with Baytril. Dr. Frye said he should be better in 14 days, but that if he is not it might mean he has TB...which I really hope is not the case. After 14 days I am going to get a fecal exam done on all of our frogs. Again thanks for the info.


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## Roadrunner (Mar 6, 2004)

TB Myco is not detectable in fecal analysis. Only thru swabbing from an open lesion or drawing fluid from a lump and culturing the bacteria to look at thru a microscope.


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## mlou1531 (Dec 22, 2006)

I have been treating him with Sliver Sulfadiazene since Saturday...and the wound is healing, he is also more active now, so it appears the treatment is working. I think he cut his toepad on some gravel, my boyfriend drained their cage, and did not refill it for a couple of days. Lex was down their walking on the gravel, a piece of it got stuck in his toepad, we were able to get it out, so I am really optimistic that it is just a wound, and not TB...If I do need to get him tested, do I just take him to a vet in my area, or do I need to try to do the swap myself?


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