Key facts

Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) is a chronic zoonotic bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis, which primarily affects cattle but can also infect other animals and humans.
Mycobacterium bovis is a sub-specie of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium responsible for human TB, but it is more common in animals.
Cattle are the most important animal reservoir of TB in relation to zoonotic exposure of humans, but the disease can affect many other species and become established in wildlife reservoirs
The disease can spread to humans through the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products, direct contact with infected animals, or inhalation of aerosolized bacteria.
In cattle, bTB causes significant economic losses for communities and countries through condemnation of diseased organs and carcasses at slaughter, and trade restrictions.

Transmission

Through respiratory droplets when infected animals cough or sneeze.
Consumption unpasteurized milk or dairy products and meat from infected cows.
Direct contact with the bacteria through open wounds, mucous membranes, or inhalation.

Most Vulnerable to contracting the disease

Cattle bred in regions where bovine TB is endemic
Individuals at higher risk include those who work closely with livestock (such as livestock farmers, veterinarians, and abattoir workers).
People living with;
- diabetes (high blood sugar)
- weakened immune system (for example, people living with HIV or AIDS)
- malnourishment
- tobacco use and addiction.
Consumers of unpasteurized dairy products and infected meat

Signs and Symptoms

In Animals
- progressive weight loss
- chronic cough
- enlarged lymph nodes
- Visible abscesses (sometimes).
- In slaughtered animals (often in abattoirs), there may be presence of nodules, called ‘tubercles’, which form in the lymph nodes, lungs, liver and other affected tissues of affected animals.
In Human (similar symptoms with human tuberculosis)
- persistent cough (may contain blood and phlegm)
- fever
- night sweats
- weight loss
- swollen lymph nodes (sometimes)
- Chest pains
- Weakness
Asymptomatic cases: Some infected animals and humans may remain asymptomatic but still be capable of spreading the disease.

What can you do to prevent and control an epidemic?

Prevention and Control

Community awareness and identifying people suspected to have TB
Inform communities on main symptoms of TB
Identify people with TB symptoms in the community

Monitoring the community and identifying sick people and animals

Detect sick people and animals quickly for referral to the appropriate health facilities
Monitor the community for clusters of sick or dead animals
- Report any clusters to your supervisor, animal health and welfare authorities and/or health authorities
- Encourage quarantining sick animals from healthy ones
  - Discourage community members from taking sick animals to markets or other places where they may encounter other animals or humans
- Encourage minimal contact between sick animals and humans
- Limit contact between sick and healthy animals, stop sick animals from reaching the market, etc.)
Condemn and destroy any slaughtered animal or carcass where tubercles have been observed in tissue and organs. Discourage consumption or trade of such animals or animal parts.

Treatment and management

Refer suspected human and animal cases for screening and treatment
- Refer people to the appropriate health facilities
- Notify animal health and welfare authorities and professionals or care providers (such as veterinarians or para-veterinarians) of suspected cases in animals
Provide psychosocial support to the sick person and their family members
Safe animal handling
- Safe handling and slaughtering practices including supervision and meat inspection
- People working with animals or animal products should wear protective clothing and equipment and follow recommended hygiene practices

Personal protection and hygiene

Promote handwashing with soap
- BEFORE: preparing food; eating; feeding a child; treating wounds; or caring for sick people
- AFTER: using the toilet or cleaning a baby; touching garbage or waste (especially when dealing with rodent waste); touching or feeding animals; blowing nose, coughing or sneezing; treating wounds; or caring for sick people

Food and water hygiene and safety

Cook animal products thoroughly.
Discourage consumption of diseased organs and meat or organs and meat from animals suspected or confirmed to have tuberculosis. Destroy such diseased organs.

Social mobilisation and health promotion

Find out the specific advice being given by health and other relevant animal health and welfare authorities
- Liaise with health professionals in both human and animal health sectors for health advice and promotion messages for best health practices.
- Promote recommended health practices (such as safe animal handling, food safety, and use of protective clothing and equipment)
- Offer support and encouragement to people to help them follow the advice
  - Try to gain understanding about if and why health advice is not being followed
  - With the advice of your supervisor and health authorities, work with communities to overcome barriers to following health advice and recommended practices
- Priority health education target groups are at risk groups and those who are sick with TB and their families.
- Stigma against TB and TB/HIV should be strongly addressed

Mapping and community assessment

Make a map of the community.
Mark the following information on the map:
- How many people and animals have fallen sick with bovine tuberculosis (or human tuberculosis)? Where?
- How many people and animals have died? Where? When?
- Who and where are the vulnerable people? (where are farms, slaughterhouses?)
- Where are the handwashing facilities in the community? (are there stations at animal markets and other areas where livestock gather?)
  - Are soap and water always available?
- Where are the local health facilities and services? (include traditional healers)
Record the following information on the back of the map:
- When did people and cattle start to fall sick with bovine tuberculosis?
- How many people live in the affected community? How many are children under five years of age? How many people work with livestock regularly?
- What animals do people commonly keep or farm?
- Do people cook meat and milk thoroughly before eating it?
- Do any animal health agencies, veterinarians or agriculture ministry agencies work in the area?
- What are the community’s habits, practices and beliefs about caring for and feeding sick people?
- What are the community’s habits, practices and beliefs about care and slaughter of animals?
  - Are there societal, cultural or religious beliefs or perceptions about the care and slaughter of animals?
- What are the community’s habits, practices and beliefs about sick or dead animals?
  - How do people dispose of animal carcasses (by burning, burying, eating, etc.)?
- What are the community’s habits, practices and beliefs about consuming infected or diseased offal or meat?
- Is a social mobilization or health promotion programme in place?
- Which sources do people use/trust the most for information?
  - Are there rumours or misinformation about bovine tuberculosis? Are there rumours or misinformation about vaccines? What are the rumours?
What role do women play in livestock management (including caring for animals, gathering animal feed and selling animal products in markets)?

Volunteer actions

01. Community-based surveillance 02. Community mapping 03. Communicating with the community 04. Community referral to health facilities 19. Mental Health and Psychosocial support (MHPSS) 20. Isolating sick people 34. Handwashing with soap 41. Handling and slaughtering animals 43. Social mobilization and behaviour change 44. Dealing with rumors 45. Psychological First Aid (PFA)

Other resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); About Bovine Tuberculosis in Humans (2024)
World Health Organization (WHO); Tuberculosis (2023)
https://www.who.int/teams/global-tuberculosis-programme/zoonotic-tb
World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH); Bovine Tuberculosis. (2018)
World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH); Bovine Tuberculosis (n.d.)