Spanish veterinarians make progress in diagnosing bovine tuberculosis in Mediterranean buffaloes

This disease is characterized by being chronic and progressive and mainly affects the lung. After the initial infection, there is usually a period in which no symptoms appear and the progress of the infection depends on the interaction between the pathogen and the host's defense mechanisms. Mycobacterium bovis is the main agent of bovine tuberculosis in Mediterranean buffaloes, which not only represents a threat to human health, but also has a negative economic impact on the herds of these same. Recently, a study published in which Italian and Spanish researchers such as veterinarian Javier Bezos, from the Veterinary Health Surveillance Center (Visavet) of the Complutense University of Madrid, have participated, has demonstrated the usefulness of the IFN-γ assay in the diagnosis of M. bovis infection in Mediterranean buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis). The research revealed the utility of key immune cytokines as diagnostic biomarkers of M. bovis infection in this species. For the study, ...