Epidemiology of tuberculosis in animals and in-contact humans in Nigeria: A Review

Abstract

Tuberculosis is an infectious, contagious, and bacterial disease of immense economic and public health importance globally. It affects domestic and wild animals and man causing respirato-ry disease and to a certain extent, generalized body lesions depending on the mode of transmission and the animal species affected including man. Mycobacterium species causing the disease include M. bovis, M. tuberculosis, M. africanum, M. avium, M. caprae, M. microti, and M. canetti. Mycobacterium bovis has been reported to primarily infect cattle while M. tuberculosis infects humans though the organisms M. bovis and M. tuberculosis have recently been demonstrated in both cattle and humans. The objective of this study was to review relevant literature and provide concise summary on the epidemiology of tuberculosis in animals and humans with special emphasis on Nigeria. Factors that affect the epidemiology of tuberculosis such as the age, breed, sex and genetic composition of the host as well as season, husbandry and management practices were adequately discussed. The role of wild life in the maintenance of tuberculosis in the population as well as the role of immunosuppression in humans have all been identified. The infection of humans with HIV/AIDs has been shown to greatly increase the incidence of the disease in humans and that the disease has been reported in almost all the states in the Nigerian Federation. The epidemiological and risk factors of the disease, tuberculosis, along with the potential economic and public health importance of the disease in various animal species in Nigeria have been demonstrated.