Gert van der Hoek
In Memoriam - Editor, Senior Moderator
In high-income countries - like the UK - Bovine TB is an economic problem.
In low-income countries - like Kenya - Bovine TB is a human health problem.
Kenya: Researchers Identify TB in Local Animals
Nairobi ? Local researchers have detected a type of disease previously assumed to be absent in Kenya, bovine tuberculosis.
They say the strain, which mainly attacks livestock, was encountered in samples from Nakuru and Dagoretti.
According to Prof Samuel Arimi of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Nairobi, the tests, done in 2007, showed the presence of the disease, which is also known as BTB.
Affect humans
Over the years, cases had been too sporadic to elicit concern, Prof Arimi told scientists at a conference at the University of Nairobi.
He said the disease was contagious and affected most warm-blooded animals, including humans. "Cattle, goats and pigs are most susceptible to infection while horses are relatively resistant," he said.
He said Kenya shared borders with neighbours which have BTB and there was cross-border movement of domestic and wild animals.
Prof Arimi said the animal TB could be passed to humans because it was respiratory. "It can affect humans when they inhale near an infected animal or by consuming products from infected animals."
http://allafrica.com/stories/201009100543.html
In low-income countries - like Kenya - Bovine TB is a human health problem.
Kenya: Researchers Identify TB in Local Animals
Nairobi ? Local researchers have detected a type of disease previously assumed to be absent in Kenya, bovine tuberculosis.
They say the strain, which mainly attacks livestock, was encountered in samples from Nakuru and Dagoretti.
According to Prof Samuel Arimi of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Nairobi, the tests, done in 2007, showed the presence of the disease, which is also known as BTB.
Affect humans
Over the years, cases had been too sporadic to elicit concern, Prof Arimi told scientists at a conference at the University of Nairobi.
He said the disease was contagious and affected most warm-blooded animals, including humans. "Cattle, goats and pigs are most susceptible to infection while horses are relatively resistant," he said.
He said Kenya shared borders with neighbours which have BTB and there was cross-border movement of domestic and wild animals.
Prof Arimi said the animal TB could be passed to humans because it was respiratory. "It can affect humans when they inhale near an infected animal or by consuming products from infected animals."
http://allafrica.com/stories/201009100543.html