Bacteria: Mycobacterium bovis

In humans, the vast majority of tuberculosis (TB) cases are caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, TB can be caused by a number of other bacteria, of which Mycobacterium bovis, causing the so-called 'bovine tuberculosis' is one of the more prevalent and has the widest host range of all TB bacteria. TB due to M. bovis often produce extrapulmonary disease, but in many cases is clinically indistinguishable from M. tuberculosis infection. Mycobacterium bovis TB has been recognized as one of the neglected zoonoses in the world and its oral transmission still is important in different countries. Very little is known about the share of bovine TB in the global TB epidemic, but sporadic reports of cases are received from developing countries. In this article, the epidemiological situation as well implications for food safety are discussed.