Open AccessSCREENING TEST FOR BOVINE TUBERCULOSIS AMONGST CATTLE POPULATION IN ZARIA AREA USING SINGLE CAUDAL-FOLD TECHNIQUE.
Author(s) -
LM Shehu,
LT Zaria
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
nigerian journal of animal production
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 0331-2062
DOI - 10.51791/njap.v18i.1980
Subject(s) - herd , tuberculin , veterinary medicine , tuberculosis , incidence (geometry) , bovine tuberculosis , significant difference , tuberculin test , population , zoology , biology , medicine , mycobacterium bovis , mycobacterium tuberculosis , environmental health , pathology , mathematics , geometry
Five hundred out of 732 heads of cattle in twenty selected birds in Zaria and its environs, were screened for tuberculosis using the single caudal fold (SCF) tuberculin test. Fifty nine (11.8%) beads of cattle were detected to be reactors, while 43 (8.6%) and 398 (79.6%) were suspects and non-reactors respectively. Only one herd had no reactors nor suspects. Amongst reactors, the incidence increased with age, with 6.9% reactors in 0-1 year age group; while those over 5 years old had 28 (20.9%) reactors. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.05;x2) Management system had an effect on the incidence of tuberculin test reactors with purely nomadic animals showing a greater number of reactors (72.88%) than intensively (0.0%) and semi-intensively (27.12%) managed farms, Sex had no effect on reactor rates as 13(11.4%) of 114 males and 46 (11.9%) of 386 females were reactors. The difference was not statistically significant(P<0.05;x2). It is therefore concluded that cattle in nomadic Fulani herds harbour Mycobacteria which serve as a potential source of tuberculosis to man and other animals.