Perspectives on the History of Bovine TB and the Role of Tuberculin in Bovine TB Eradication

Abstract

Tuberculosis remains a significant disease of animals and humans worldwide. Bovine tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacteria with an extremely wide host range and serious, although currently probably underdiagnosed, zoonotic potential. Where bovine tuberculosis controls are effective, human zoonotic TB, due to Mycobacterium bovis or M. caprae, is uncommon and clinical cases are infrequent in cattle. Therefore, the control and ultimate eradication of bovine tuberculosis is desirable. Tuberculin tests are the primary screening tool used in bovine eradication. The choice of tuberculin test is dependent on the environment in which it is to be used. Tuberculin potency is critical to test performance, and the accurate determination of potency is therefore particularly important. The design of a control or eradication programme should take into consideration the fundamental scientific knowledge, the epidemiological profile of disease, the experience of other eradication programmes, and the presence, in the same ecosystem, of maintenance hosts, in which infection is self-sustaining and which are capable of transmitting infection. A control or eradication programme will necessarily require modification as it progresses and must be under constant review to identify the optimal desirable goals, the efficacy of policy, and constraints to progress.

Diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis: review of main techniques

“…The digestive tract is also a route of infection for bovine tuberculosis, especially in calves fed milk from cows with tuberculous mastitis or through ingestion of contaminated water or forage. In this case, the primary complex is located in the digestive organs and lymph nodes (Good and Duignan, 2011). …”

Clinical and Diagnostic Developments of a Gamma Interferon Release Assay for Use in Bovine Tuberculosis Control Programs

“…MTC species are similar to one another in their ability to cause tuberculosis infections; however, their host range and their virulence between hosts vary. M. bovis has the largest host range of the MTC species, infecting wildlife as well as alternative and domestic livestock, which makes it difficult to control (2). In many developed countries, cattle herds are monitored for bovine tuberculosis using slaughterhouse surveillance and antemortem testing.…”

Mediation of Host Immune Responses after Immunization of Neonatal Calves with a Heat-Killed Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis Vaccine

“…The caudal fold skin test (CFT) is the most common tuberculin test and is widely used as an initial screening tool for bovine tuberculosis in the field (10). The CFT is based upon a response to a singular antigen, M. bovis purified protein derivative tuberculin (BoPPD).…”