Detection of bovine tuberculosis in Wasit city by the use of comparative intradermal tuberculin test and antigen rapid bovine TB Ab test

Abstract EN

The study was conducted on twenty eight (28) cows in some villages in Wasit city / Iraq, scanned by using the comparative intradermal tuberculin test and antigen rapid bovine TB Ab test, to determine the morbidity rates of bovine tuberculosis (TB) and also to evaluate the efficiency of the two tests in the diagnosis of bovine TB.

Post mortem examinations also were done after slaughter of animals to confirm the TB lesions.

Twenty one (21) cows (75%) were positive in the tuberculin test, while (7) cows (25%) were negative.

Twenty two (22) cows (78,57%) gave positive results to the antigen rapid bovine TB Ab test, and (6) cows (21,43%) gave negative results.

It was noticed that most of the positive tuberculin animals were also positive to the antigen rapid bovine TB Ab test, due to the MP70 antigen present in the rapid test kit is a major component of M.

bovis.

On post mortem examination nineteen (19) cows (67,85%) seen had the tubercle lesions in many organs like liver (19,05%), lung (14,28%), intestine (14,28%), mesenteric lymph nodes (19,05%), retropharyngeal lymph nodes (19,05%) and mediastinal lymph nodes (14,28%).

It was concluded that the use of combination of tuberculin test and antigen rapid bovine TB Ab test together gives a better results in the diagnosis of bovine TB than the use of a single test alone.