Zoonotic Tuberculosis in Defined Populations; an Epidemiological Study

This book primarily aims at describing the epidemiology of Mycobacterium bovis infections in Zambia with special emphasis at the human/livestock/wildlife interface areas. To achieve this objective, cross sectional studies were designed with baseline information on knowledge of cattle ownership, wildlife interaction and bovine tuberculosis (bTB) forming the baseline assessment for the study. Risk factors of bTB occurrence were identified with important insights on interaction factors at the livestock/wildlife interface. Molecular studies were based on biological samples derived from cattle and wildlife where interaction existed. The findings from this study have provided useful epidemiological information on bTB specifically in Zambia with a predominant bTB genotype SB0120 likely to have had spread in cattle in western part of Kafue basin, then, transferred to Kafue lechwe antelopes (wildlife), where maintenance and reservoir host potential have been established. Further specific aspects key to bTB control for policy shift have been outlined in this study and are discussed herein.