Mycobacterium bovis infection in human beings in contact with elk (Cervus elaphus) in Alberta, Canada
- 16 November 1991
- journal article
- Published by Elsevier BV in The Lancet
- Vol. 338 (8777), 1253-1255
- https://doi.org/10.1016/0140-6736(91)92113-g
Abstract
Human infection with Mycobacterium bovis is rare in developed countries because of milk pasteurisation and the slaughter of infected cattle. An epizootic of M bovis infection in domesticated elk (Cervus elaphus) in Alberta, Canada, which started in April, 1990, prompted us to seek human contacts of elk herds. There were 446 identified contacts, in 394 of whom tuberculin skin tests were done. Of 81 contacts who were skin-test positive, 50 had been in contact with culture-positive animals. 6 of 106 subjects tested a second time became tuberculin positive. 1 case of active M bovis infection was diagnosed by sputum culture. The mode of transmission of M bovis from these farm animals to man is likely to be aerosolisation of infected particles. Because of the apparent susceptibility of farmed Cervidae (deer) to M bovis infection, and the evidence of spread to man, control measures to prevent human infection should be developed.This publication has 5 references indexed in Scilit:
- MYCOBACTERIUM BOVIS AS AN OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD IN ABATTOIR WORKERSAustralian and New Zealand Journal of Medicine, 1989
- MYCOBACTERIUM BOVIS AS AN OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD IN ABATTOIR WORKERSAustralian and New Zealand Journal of Medicine, 1988
- The nature of mycobacterial disease in south east England, 1977-84.Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 1986
- Bovine Tuberculosis in Humans in OntarioAmerican Review of Respiratory Disease, 1972
- Tuberculosis Caused byMycobacterium bovisAnnals of Internal Medicine, 1970