The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7172 643-649
3 November 2001

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Letters to the Editor

Tuberculosis

Two different organisms

From Mrs J. Brabban, MRPharmS

In your report on dealing with the control of tuberculosis in cattle (PJ, 6 October, p481), it was not made clear that the disease in cattle (and in some wild animals, including badgers) is bovine TB, caused by Mycobacterium bovis, a different organism from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is responsible for the disease in humans.

Although there is a small risk of M bovis being transmitted to humans via unpasteurised milk, or contact with infected cattle, this is rare. In fact, in 1999 there were 41 cases of bovine TB identified in humans in the UK. The view of public health experts is that most of these cases originated from trips abroad, or in older people with recurrent infection.

Further information can be obtained from the Public Health Laboratory Service's website.

Janice Brabban
Secretary, Durham County Badger Group,
Darlington,
Co Durham

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