A review of bovine tuberculosis transmission risk in European wildlife communities

Justus, William; Valle, Simon; Barton, Owain; Gresham, Amy; Shannon, Graeme

doi:10.1111/mam.12347

Cited by 3 publications

References 108 publications

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Farm management practices and host species richness associated with higher likelihood of tuberculosis positive farms in Western Spain

Herrero-García,

Vaz-Rodrigues,

Pozo

et al. 2024

Eur J Wildl Res

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Despite enormous efforts, complete animal tuberculosis (TB) eradication has only been achieved in few regions. Epidemiological analyses are key to identify TB risk factors and set up targeted biosecurity measures. Here, we conducted an in-depth characterization of 84 extensive beef cattle farms from a high TB prevalence region in Western Spain, and assessed how farm management and wildlife presence on farms contribute to cattle TB risk. Twenty-six out of 84 variables were associated with cattle farm TB positivity. Farm management variables associated with TB positivity included older cattle, larger herd size, highly fragmented farm structure and greater connectivity between farms. TB-positive farms provided supplemental feed over a higher number of months, used calf feeders, and had higher number of waterholes. Detecting Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), European badger (Meles meles), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), or Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon) on cattle farms was also associated with farm TB positivity. The best ordinal regression model indicated that in farms with a large herd size (> 167 animals) the odds of being positive or recurrently positive (versus negative) was 7.34 (95% CI = 2.43–23.51) times higher that of farms with small herd size. Further, for every additional host species detected in the farm premises, the odds of being TB-positive increased 56%. We conclude that both cattle management and wildlife need to be targeted for successful TB control in grazing-based farming systems.

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Farm management practices and host species richness associated with higher likelihood of tuberculosis positive farms in Western Spain

Herrero-García,

Vaz-Rodrigues,

Pozo

et al. 2024

Eur J Wildl Res

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Estimating the seroprevalence of tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) infection in a wild deer population in southwest England

Jinks,

Hollingdale,

Avigad

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a major disease of cattle that is subject to an eradication strategy in England. To inform control policies and manage the epidemic, all potential sources of infection for cattle must be identified and understood. The causative agent of bTB,Mycobacterium bovis, has a wide host range including several deer species. While transmission between cattle and deer has been implicated in some localised endemic regions, the role of deer in the epidemiology of bTB in England is poorly understood. This paper presents the results of a serological survey to estimate the prevalence ofM. bovisin a large wild deer population in the High bTB Risk Area of southwest England. Blood samples were collected post-mortem over a 12-month period from wild deer during annual deer management controls in the Exmoor area and tested forM. bovisserum antibodies. Overall, 432 samples were collected and 69 (16.0%) were seropositive. The true seroprevalence in our sample was estimated to be 29.2% (95% CrI 21.1-38.6%), using Bayesian Latent Class Analysis to account for imperfect diagnostic test accuracy. Prevalence did not appear to differ between sexes nor between species, although the sample was predominantly red deer. The lowest prevalence was observed in animals aged under 1-year. Whilst these results provide valuable insights intoM. bovisseroprevalence in this wild deer population, they should be interpreted alongside other relevant information such as ecology, species-specific epidemiology and disease pathology, deer density and cattle management to inform potential transmission risks between cattle and wild deer.

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An Overview of a Re-Emerging Disease in Italy: Bovine Tuberculosis Outbreaks in Cattle from MTBC-Free Territories

Giusti,

Carbonetta,

Fratini

et al. 2024

Pathogens

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Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a zoonotic disease with consequences for public health as well as the economy. In the EU, compulsory eradication programmes have been applied, and most territories in Italy have been reported as disease-free (FTs). However, outbreaks (OBs), i.e., an officially confirmed occurrence of bTB in one or more animals in an establishment, have continued to be reported. In this study we provide an overview of bTB in terms of OB numbers in cattle from Italian FTs. Legislative sources were collected to find the FTs, the relevant declaration of free status year (FSY), and regional control and surveillance plans. Then, descriptive and statistical analyses were applied to the collected OBs. A total of 12 regions and 19 provinces were declared FTs in the 20 years from 2003 to 2023. Differences in regional plans were observed with respect to the percentages of herds that were annually controlled (control frequency). Overall, 370 OBs were recorded. A non-statistically significant decrease in the OB incidence rate after the FSY was declared. However, a notable increase in OBs detected at slaughterhouses after the FSY suggests that control systems (serological tests) at the herd level are not completely effective. Differences in the herds’ control frequencies among FTs seem to not have had a significant influence on the observed OB number. The Tuscany region was the most affected FT based on the OB numbers after the FSY (especially in the last year). Epidemiologically relevant primary determinants seem to be the farming system (semi-extensive and adjacent herds) and the cattle movements from positive incidence areas (trade and animal fairs). The role of wild boars in the disease maintenance cannot be excluded. The results of this study stress the need to revise bTB eradication and surveillance plans based on risk analysis.

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A review of bovine tuberculosis transmission risk in European wildlife communities

Cited by 3 publications

References 108 publications

Farm management practices and host species richness associated with higher likelihood of tuberculosis positive farms in Western Spain

Farm management practices and host species richness associated with higher likelihood of tuberculosis positive farms in Western Spain

Estimating the seroprevalence of tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) infection in a wild deer population in southwest England

An Overview of a Re-Emerging Disease in Italy: Bovine Tuberculosis Outbreaks in Cattle from MTBC-Free Territories

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