23 / 2024-10-11 11:50:06

Multiple strategies to control bovine tuberculosis epidemics

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is an important zoonotic disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), M. tuberculosis (M. tb), and Mycobacterium caprae (M. caprae). This disease has a significant impact on both the cattle industry and public health.
There is only one strategy for controlling bTB, which is primarily the “test and slaughter” strategy. However, the implementation of this approach is significantly challenging because of the high economic burden it places on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). At present, no legally approved vaccine prevents bTB in cattle. BCG vaccination interferes with traditional testing methods because it cannot differentiate between infected and vaccinated animals (DIVA). Additionally, there is a lack of validated methods for evaluating vaccines.
Compared to virulent M. tuberculosis, BCG is lacking with 16 regions of difference (RDs), creating an opportunity to develop a differential diagnosis for DIVA. In this study, we screened for RD1 region antigens (Rv3872, CFP10, and EAST6，RCE) and established a Novel γ-Interferon In Vitro Release Assay. This method was used to DIVA and assess vaccine efficacy.