Abstract
What is already known about this topic? Mycobacterium bovis, a zoonotic pathogen of cattle, causes tuberculosis in persons who consume unpasteurized contaminated dairy products. Airborne person-to-person transmission has been suspected but is difficult to confirm. What is added by this report? A large contact investigation around two patients with M. bovis pulmonary tuberculosis and the findings from molecular epidemiology strengthen the evidence for person-to-person transmission of M. bovis infection. What are the implications for public health practice? The persistence of M. bovis in cattle internationally and the failure to pasteurize dairy products in many locations means that further infections in humans should be anticipated. Persons with M. bovis infections should be asked about foodborne exposures. Contact investigations for M. bovis disease should be conducted using the same methods as for M. tuberculosis disease.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 197-201 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report |
| Volume | 65 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 4 2016 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Epidemiology
- Health(social science)
- Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
- Health Information Management