Detecting clues to prevent tuberculosis in cattle

New research results from scientists from the University of Liverpool and Nottingham in the UK, published in the journal Nature Communication on May 23, show the cause of the failure of the bovine tuberculosis eradication program (TB). ) currently in some countries may be caused by parasitic worms.

The worm, called Fasciola hepatica , which caused liver fluke disease, hindered and distracted laboratory tests for tuberculosis in cattle, causing the spread of disease in cattle.

The scientists said that the Fasciola hepatica worm lives parasites in cattle and reduces the sensitivity of skin tests, which are used to diagnose tuberculosis in animals.

Professor Diana Williams of the University of Liverpool said tests for bovine tuberculosis are often based on the inflammatory response of the skin when injecting TB protein, but in animals infected with liver fluke, the reaction will be blocked. making the doctor unable to diagnose and accurately detect bovine tuberculosis. In addition, this fluke also produces false negative test results in a large number of cattle when tested.

Obviously, cattle that are infected with liver fluke or bovine tuberculosis may not be identified by the TB monitoring program currently used in the UK.

According to statistics, tuberculosis appeared in 2011 and killed about 25,000 cattle in the UK, causing losses of up to 90 million pounds.

Scientists at the University of Liverpool in collaboration with the University of Nottingham and the Institute of Biological Sciences in Stormont (UK) studied more than 3,000 dairy herds in England and Wales, and concluded that liver fluke infections were reduces the effectiveness of diagnostic skin tests for bovine tuberculosis. The cause of tuberculosis continues to spread, increasing and mass killing cattle.

The research team said the discovery of clues about the cause of disease spread will help improve the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis in the future, achieving the ultimate goal of increasing prevention and elimination of the disease. This dangerous disease in the UK.