Status and Public Health Significance of Mycobacterium bovis in Ethiopia

Abstract

Infectious diseases, accounting for 30-50% of the total annual losses, remain a major impediment to Ethiopia’s livestock economy. Cattle, other domesticated animals, and some free-range or captive wildlife species are all susceptible to the infectious disease known as bovine tuberculosis, which is caused by the Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis). It is typically distinguished by the development of tubercle-like nodular granulomas. The bovine tuberculosis-diseased animal loses 10-25% of their productive efficiency; direct losses due to the infection become evident by a decrease in 10-18% milk and a 15% reduction in meat production. During the final stages of tuberculosis, severe emaciation and acute respiratory distress might happen. It affects animal production, but it also significantly affects public health. Human infection due to M. bovis is thought to be mainly through the drinking of contaminated or unpasteurized raw milk and undercooked meat. It is estimated that M. bovis causes 10-15% of human cases of tuberculosis in countries. This indicated that tuberculosis in both humans and animals is endemic in Ethiopia. Reporting the status of tuberculosis in animals and humans is so dynamic.