Evaluation of a number of ancillary tuberculin tests in cattle

Abstract

Extract Two problems usually emerge when the incidence of bovine tuberculosis is reduced as a result of systematic tuberculin testing and removal of reactors. First, it is clear that certain organisms related to the bovine tubercle bacillus can induce tuberculin hypersensitivity resulting in many nonspecific responses to the tuberculin test. Examples of organisms that can give such reactions are those causing Johne's disease, avian tuberculosis, human tuberculosis, so-called “skin tuberculosis” and anonymous mycobacteria (Paterson, 1956 Paterson, A. B. 1956. The incidence and causes of tuberculin reactions in non-tuberculous cattle. Adv. Tuberc. Res., 7: 101–129. [Google Scholar] ). Secondly, in some herds tuberculosis is not eradicated despite repeated testing.