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Page No. : 15-23

ABSTRACT

Bovine tuberculosis also referred as zoonotic tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium bovis. Cattle are the principal host for bovine tuberculosis and had the ability to infect a wide range of warm blooded animals including human being. India harbouring the world largest bovine population around 302 million is also prone to tuberculosis. The intensifi cation of dairy rearing is making the disease spread easier than earlier. The maintenance of M. bovis in bovine population is also making human being prone to its infection through consumption of raw milk or sometime by aerosol mode. There is neither treatment nor vaccine option for bovine tuberculosis for cattle. Hence, the control in bovine population lies on testing the susceptible population and then removing them either by culling or segregation. Most of the developed countries have controlled by test and slaughter policy. Developing and under-developing countries are still struggling and depends on test and segregation because of economic and cultural reasons. The bovine tuberculosis is neglected zoonoses and had an economic implication on livestock farmer. The disease need a one health approach involving medical, veterinary, milk cooperatives with government combined eff orts to check the disease.
Keywords: Bovine, India, Mycobacterium bovis, prevalence, tuberculosis, zoonoses