British Cattle Veterinary Association

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a persistent problem in cattle herds in Great Britain and Ireland. Whilst the involvement of badgers in the transmission cycle of Mycobacterium bovis is well established, the route of transmission from wildlife to cattle and visa versa is not understood sufficiently to inform day-to-day management of transmission risks on the farm. Recent detection of M. bovis in soil on a large proportion of farms in bTB endemic regions highlights the possibility that an environmental reservoir of M. bovis may exist to help maintain bTB persistence even in regions void of badgers. Until recently, technical difficulties have excluded study of M. bovis in its in situ metabolic state which is necessary in order to understand its potential epidemiological significance. Here we describe important advances in this field.