Abstract:
A total of 8190 cattle from 42 well-managed herds in the Lake Victoria zone of Tanzania were tested for
bovine tuberculosis by a single comparative intradermal test (SCITT) using avian and bovine puri¢ed
protein derivative (PPD) antigens. The prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in this area was found to be
0.2%. There was signi¢cant variation (p50.001) among the herds tested in the four regions in this zone
(Kagera, Mara, Mwanza and Shinyanga). The highest prevalence (2.12%) was in a herd of 566 cattle
which had recently arrived in Kagera region from Dar-es-Salaam. None of the 915 cattle tested in
Shinyanga or of the 254 resident cattle in the Kagera region were positive by SCITT. This area, and
particularly the Kagera region, has the highest human morbidity and mortality due to the acquired
immunode¢ciency syndrome in Tanzania. Therefore, the presence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle
necessitates further investigations on the role of animal-derived tuberculosis in human health.
