On human tuberculosis due to M. bovis. A review

The present survey of literature is devoted to the problem of tuberculosis due to M. bovis in man. On the basis of an analysis of literary data the author summarizes materials characterizing the state of the problem in the USSR in recent years. It has been shown that in spite of general low incidence rate of M. bovis infections in human population there are regions with high level of cattle raising (Kazakh SSR, Novosibirsk Region of the RSFSR) where both the infection rate and morbidity rate due to this agent are much higher. The role of consumption of milk infected with M. bovis in causing the disease especially among children is demonstrated. The author underlines the fact that transmission of M. bovis from man to man is practically very rare and therefore this type of tuberculosis in human population is not autonomous and disappears as soon as the tuberculosis of cattle is irradicated. Data on sources and chains of infection of man with M. bovis as well as some clinical aspects of the infection are presented.