Abstract:
Pastoralist communities in the Northern and
Southern zones of Tanzania.
DESIGN: Observational study.
OBJECTIVES: To determine the involvement of Mycobacterium
bovis in tuberculosis cases presenting at
tuberculosis (TB) clinics in rural areas in these zones.
METHODS: A total of 149 tuberculosis cases identified
on the bases of clinical manifestation were sampled.
Appropriate specimens were cultured on two Löweinstein
Jensen slants with respectively glycerol and pyruvate
added. Forty-one isolates were cultured and subjected
to biochemical typing.
RESULTS: Overall, 31 (70.5%) of the mycobacterialisolates recovered from all forms of tuberculosis were
identified as M. tuberculosis, seven (16.0%) were identified
as M. bovis, and six (13.6%) were other mycobacterial
species. There was a significantly higher isolation
rate (P 0.05) of M. bovis among strains recovered
from extra-pulmonary (26.8%) than pulmonary tuberculosis
samples (4.3%).
CONCLUSION: Based on these findings, it is imperative
that M. bovis be considered as a pathogen of concern to
people living in rural areas of Tanzania. Further work is
required to establish a zoonotic link between cattle and
the people in these communities who rear them.
