Survey of Bovine Tuberculosis in Guduru Cattle Breeding and Research Center, Western Ethiopia

Abstract

In light of the direct correlation between Mycobacterium bovis (M.bovis) infection in cattle and the disease in human, control measures need to apply to reduce the prevalence of tuberculosis in developing countries. To this effect, generation of epidemiological data is of supreme importance. A cross-sectional study was conducted in line with this, at Guduru Cattle Breeding and Research Centre, Western Ethiopia, to estimate the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) by using comparative interadermal tuberculin (CIDT) test.  The prevalence was 1.8% (9/500) by using this test. There was no significant difference (c²=4.75; P=0.079) in prevalence of BTB between Horro-Jersy cross breed and zebu (Horro) breed. The result of the present study has shown that bovine tuberculosis is less prevalent in cattle kept at Guduru Cattle Breeding and research Center. However, the prevalence of tuberculin result was low, enormous numbers of tubercle bacilli can be excreted by a cow with tuberculous mastitis. One cow can excrete enough viable bacilli to contaminate the milk of many cows, when their milk is mixed. Additionally it is much enough to contaminate an environment in which they belong (particularly pasture and water body), through faces and air droplet. In addition to this people of the area have the habit of consuming raw meat and milk and share the same microenvironment with their livestock. This further disseminates the causative agent, both through inhalation and ingestion resulting in high economic loss and public health effect. So further similar studies across the country to estimate the national prevalence of BTB is mandatory to design the control strategy.

Keywords: Mycobacterium bovis, tuberculin test, risk factors, Cattle, Ethiopia