Comparison of the specificty of human and bovine tuberculin PPD for testing cattle. 1--Republic of Ireland

Abstract

A tuberculin testing trial in cattle was carried out in the Republic of Ireland to compare the specificity for bovine tuberculosis of a human purified protein derivative (PPD) tuberculin (Weybridge) with that of a bovine PPD (Rotterdam), and to determine whether discrimination between specific and non-specific reactions to mammalian tuberculin is better with doses of tuberculins smaller than those traditonally used for testing cattle. Tests were carried out in 510 cattle, 395 of which were shown by post mortem examination to be tuberculous and 115 non-tuberculous. Three dilutions at five-fold intervals of both mammalian tuberculins were used together with two dose levels of avian tuberculin PPD (Weybridge), and all reactions were measured both by increase in skin fold thickness and by diameter of induration. In the environment of this trial, the bovine PPD was shown to be more specific for bovine tuberculosis than the human PPD, and particularly in differentiating from "skin tuberculosis". There was no indication of greater specificity at lower doses of tuberculin. Measurement of induration diameter proved a satisfactory alternative method of reading tuberculin reactions in cattle under field conditions.

Estimation of the Relative Sensitivity of the Comparative Tuberculin Skin Test in Tuberculous Cattle Herds Subjected to Depopulation

“…When the estimate from Costello et al (1997) is excluded (since it was not interpreted at standard interpretation–as discussed previously), the range remains the same. SICCT test sensitivity ranged from 77–95% in an earlier review [9]: three of these studies [13]–[15] were included in the review by de la Rua-Domenech et al (2006), and the remaining four studies [16]–[19] were not comparable, employing tuberculin extracted from M. tuberculosis that was replaced in GB by the current ( M. bovis -derived) tuberculin in 1975 [9], [13].…”

Bovine Tuberculosis in Cattle in the Highlands of Cameroon: Seroprevalence Estimates and Rates of Tuberculin Skin Test Reactors at Modified Cut-Offs

“…Nonspecific responses in TST due to atypical or environmental mycobacteria have been widely reported [2, 3, 49–51]. Indeed, Lesslie et al [52–54] recorded hypersensitivity responses to avian tuberculin that was equal or higher than responses to bovine tuberculin in cattle naturally infected with M. bovis and presenting visible lesions at slaughter. Therefore, severe interpretations of TST reactions should be employed when EU- and OIE-recommended tuberculin preparations are used in bovine TB endemic regions and environments where multiple mycobacteria are coexisting.…”

Development of an improved ESAT-6 and CFP-10 peptide-based cytokine flow cytometric assay for bovine tuberculosis

“…According to the regulations of GOVS, a cow was considered reactive if a swelling of >4 mm or more occurred at the injection site, <3 mm was considered as negative, and between 3 and 4 mm was interpreted as suspicious. The SCIT was carried out by us according to the protocol of Lesslie and Herbert [8]. Briefly, skin thickness was measured with calipers immediately before intradermal injection of PPD-A and PPD-B.…”