CAB International 2018. Bovine Tuberculosis
80 (eds M. Chambers, S. Gordon, F. Olea-Popelka, P. Barrow)- Email: [email protected]
6.1 IntroductionThe ability of Mycobacterium bovis to cause
disease in a wide range of domestic and wild
mammal species classifies this pathogen among
the globally most widespread infectious causes
of livestock production losses across many,
highly diverse animal production systems (Buhr
et al., 2009; Humblet et al., 2009; Schiller et al.,
2011; Food and Agriculture Organisation,
2012). In the World Organisation for Animal
Health (OIE) Terrestrial Animal Health Code,
bovine tuberculosis (TB) is currently listed
within the categories of diseases of cattle and
those of farmed Cervidae, which indicates a rec-
ognition by the OIE of the rising importance of
M. bovis infections in production animals other
than domestic cattle in terms of global trade
(OIE, 2016).
The public health importance of M. bovis
stems from the effective transmission to humans
through consumption of infected cow’s milk or,
alternatively and less frequently, via aerosol in
occupational risk groups such as farmers, veteri-
narians and abattoir workers (Michel et al.,
2010). The risk of contracting zoonotic tubercu-
losis from consumption of meat is considered
low in countries with effective meat inspection.
However, in developing countries where live-
stock is largely slaughtered informally and
without veterinary inspection, consumption of
high-risk parts such as lymph nodes and inter-
nal organs is common (Dlamini, 2013; Hambolu
et al., 2013) and presents an additional mode of
transmission (see Chapter 2 for public health
details and Chapter 3 for a discussion of One
Health).
In production animals other than cattle,
the risk profile for zoonotic transmission should,
in principle, be regarded the same because it is
based primarily on utilization of milk and meat
and to a smaller extent on close contact. The
species-specific pathogenesis of M. bovis in other
food-producing animals needs to be visited in
more detail to establish and manage the associ-
ated human health risk.
This chapter presents the current body of
knowledge of M. bovis infection and disease is
reviewed with regard to the following species:
sheep, goats, pigs, water buffalo and camel.6.2 M. bovis Infection in Sheep
and GoatsDomestic small ruminants, like other mammals,
are susceptible to M. bovis infection despite the
scarcity of the disease for most of the 20th cen-
tury (Cordes et al., 1981; Bezos et al., 2015).6 Bovine Tuberculosis in Other
Domestic Species
Anita L. Michel*
Department Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Bovine Tuberculosis and Brucellosis
Research Programme, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria,
Onderstepoort, South Africa