Bovine Tuberculosis in Rural Ethiopia: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study on Cattle Owned by Households with and without Tuberculosis

Abstract

Background: Bovine tuberculosis (TB) is endemic in Ethiopia. Intimacy of cattle and humans in rural farming communities may transmit Mycobacterium bovis to humans. However, there is little information about the possible transmission of pulmonary tuberculosis between humans and cattle. The current study aimed at investigating the likelihood of bovine TB among livestock in households with a confirmed pulmonary TB case. Method: The households studied were those where TB had been diagnosed in any household member (35 pulmonary TB case households) in comparison to households without a person diagnosed with pulmonary TB (105 comparison households). Cattle owned by both households were tested with the comparative intradermal skin test (CIDT) to collect primary data. Logistic regression was used to assess the factors associated with CIDT reactivity in both households. Results: The study revealed 23.6% (n=140) of an overall household/herd and 8.7% (n=481) an individual cattle apparent prevalence. The odds of bovine TB among cattle owned by households with pulmonary TB was about three times (2.90, 95% CI: 1.50-5.54) higher compared to those cattle owned by households without pulmonary TB. Conclusion: The study implicated possible transmission of TB between humans and cattle. It is necessary to investigate whether the pathogen responsible is M. tuberculosis or M. bovis.