Domestic Cats Become A Vector Of Bovine TB

The Public Heath Department has confirmed that two cases of tuberculosis in humans originated in domestic cats. The cases, in Berkshire and Hampshire, both rural counties in southern England, are the first recorded cases in the Uk on cattle tuberculosis, passing to humans via another animal. There have been nine cases of M.bovis confirmed so far, and both human cases have been traced back to two of the cats, one from each county.

Two further cases of the same strain have been found, but they were latent cases, this indicates the sufferers had been exposed to M.bovis but were not suffering from active TB.

The Public Heath Department has said that finding the cattle TB strain in domestic pets is very unusual, and finding that cats have acted as a vector to human cases was before this, unheard of.

M.bovis is a form of tuberculosis commonly found in cattle and usually transmission occurs by breathing in or ingesting bacteria shed by the animal or through contamination of unprotected cuts in the skin while handling infected animals or their carcasses.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by a germ which usually affects the lungs.

Symptoms can take several months to appear and include

•Fever and night sweats

•Persistent cough

•Losing weight

•Blood in your phlegm or spit

Almost all forms of TB are treatable and curable, but delays in detection and treatment can be damaging.

TB caused by M. bovis is diagnosed in less than 40 people in the UK each year. The majority of these cases are in people over 65 years old.

Overall, human TB caused by M. bovis accounts for less than 1% of the 9,000 TB cases diagnosed in the UK every year.

Those working closely with livestock and/or regularly drinking unpasteurised (raw) milk have a greater risk of exposure.

Source

Take care

Liz