Some Riveting Details about the Bovine Tuberculosis
The year is 1895, there is chaos all across Europe because many herds of cattle are apparently weak and don’t like to graze anymore. Many young guineas and sheep bellow with a whistling noise but the causes are unknown. Thanks to Robert Hooke that the microscope was present at that time and some scientists finally contemplated finding the cause by taking the milk samples from the cows. What they found shook them and changed the course of the entire medical history as well.
What they found was intriguing. The milk indicated the prominent presence of Mycobacterium bovis (M.bovis) in it which explained why the cattle were lethargic. Right after that, many geologists started developing measures to fight against this infectious bacteria causing tuberculosis in cattle and the fight continues to this day.
What is Bovine Tuberculosis?
Bovine Tuberculosis is commonly known as TB. It is a fairly common disease among cattle and other mammals. In cattle, it causes respiratory issues impacting the lungs and lymph glands of the infected cattle. The prime reason for its attack on the respiratory system is that it multiplies in the lungs and lymph glands until the symptoms intensify. It is usually a chronic condition in cattle.
Transmission of the Disease
Since the M.bovis multiplies in the respiratory tract of the cattle, hence it impacts the nasal mucus and saliva of the infected cattle. It is usually transmitted by:
● Milk of the infected cattle.
● Placental connection.
● Sputum, saliva, or feces of the infected cattle.
● Any kind of discharge from boils or lesions of the infected host.
● Sneeze and cough droplets of the infected host.
Symptoms of Bovine Tuberculosis
TB in cattle is a chronic condition which means that its symptoms appear subtly. The progress of the disease is slow, so quite often you won’t find any initial symptoms developing in the cattle until the disease enters the intermediate phase. The commonly reported symptoms in cattle are:
1. Enlarged lymph glands in the throat region
2. Apparent weakness
3. Lethargy
4. Loss of appetite
5. Pneumonia like symptoms
6. Whistling cough
7. Excessive sputum from the nose or mouth
8. Anorexia
9. Low-grade fever
Lymph enlargement is usually the first symptom which develops gradually with the passage of time. As the TB intensifies, you get to find recurrent fevers common among cattle.
How to Diagnose Bovine Tuberculosis?
Three kinds of tests are usually conducted to diagnose the doubt of TB among cattle.
1. The TB Skin Test: This is the most common method adopted to test the evidence of M.bovis in cattle. It is a four-day test where on day one the growth of the lymph nodes is measured and on the final day, the impact of weakened and injected M.bovis is compared to the active M.bovis.
2. The Antibody Rapid Test: This kind of test is usually conducted with the help of a powerful testing kit which indicates the presence of Bovine Tuberculosis Antibody (BTB Ab) in the blood serum of the host. For this purpose, some blood is taken as a sample and then assessed for the presence of antibodies.
3. The PCR Test: It is conducted using a PCR kit where the swab is used to take samples from the nostrils of the infected host and is then tested for the presence of the bacteria.
Most Affected Hosts
Cattle are the primary hosts for Bovine Tuberculosis. However, the disease impacts all kinds of mammals including rabbits, kangaroos, and humans as well.
Treatment against Bovine Tuberculosis
Usually, antibiotics are used to treat tuberculosis in the following order:
1. Active Bovine TB Treatment: The antibiotics are given for 6 to 9 months to kill the active strain of bacteria.
2. Latent Bovine TB Treatment: This phase of treatment continues right after the end of the active phase because of the potential risk of contracting bacteria again. This treatment persists for a year through the aid of antibiotics.
Prevention against Bovine Tuberculosis
1. Many veterinarians suggest that as soon as the symptoms of the disease appear in the infected host, it is better to isolate the infected one for treatment to reduce the potential risk of infection in the entire herd.
2. Purchasing your cattle through a known source can be a key element to eliminate this infectious disease.
3. Always conduct annual tuberculin testing in your herd just to keep the risk low.
4. Don’t let your cattle graze in unknown grazing grounds.
5. Always keep a note of the unusual symptoms in your herd and contact your veterinarian immediately as a result of doubt.
Though TB in cattle is a highly infectious chronic disease, yet with your aid in terms of active recognition and proper testing, the rate of the infection can be significantly controlled.
