No abstract

Bovine tuberculosis is a major problem in Brazil. The intradermal tuberculin test is the standard test for detection of bovine tuberculosis in Brazil but can lack both sensitivity and specificity. The purpose of this study was to compare a bovine y-IFN assay with the tuberculin test under field conditions in Brazil. A total of 1632 animals from 13 dairy farms were tested using the single cervical tuberculin test ( S C W . Among those animals, about 15% of each herd, 220 in total, represented a high-risk group and were selected to be tested using the y-IFN test. O f the 1632 animals tested, 207 presented significant reactions represenung 12.7 y o of the cattle studied. In the selected group the number of animals positive by the y-IFN assay was 126/220 (57.3 Yo) and the total number of reactive cows on SC'IT was 106/220 (48.2 yo).The real number of infected cattle, following standards, was 1201220 (54.5 O h ) . From these results the relative sensitivity rate of y-IFN test was 100% including the false-posiuve results and 88.3% for the SC'ZT -a significant (p < 0.01) difference in favour of the y-IFN test of 11.7%. T h e y-IFN assay also identified some positive animals 60-1220 days earlier than the SCTT. In conclusion, we believe that the y-IFN assay can be used alone or in combination with the SC'IT, as a valuable tool for the control of bovine tuberculosis in the Brazilian national herd.

No abstract

Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) is an emerging health problem that threatens tuberculosis (TB) control worldwide, since suitable treatment for this disease has not yet been found. We report a case of secondary pulmonary XDR-TB in a 54-year-old, HIV-negative male from Goiânia, Brazil. The patient had long-standing pulmonary tuberculosis (nine years) with extensive bilateral lung damage and had been treated with multiple antituberculosis drugs (self-administered) before XDR-TB diagnosis. The strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was resistant to R-rifampicin, H-isoniazid, E-ethambutol, Eto-ethionamide, Ofx-ofloxacin, and Am-amikacin. This patient died with multiple organ failure due to sepsis secondary to bacterial pneumonia.