Quantitative interferon-gamma responses predict future disease progression in badgers naturally infected with Mycobacterium bovis.

ABSTRACT: The diagnosis and control of Mycobacterium bovis infection (bovine tuberculosis: TB) continues to present huge challenges to the British cattle industry. A clearer understanding of the magnitude and duration of immune response to M. bovis infection in the European badger (Meles meles) - a wildlife maintenance host - may assist with the future development of diagnostic tests, and vaccination and disease management strategies. Here, we analyse 5280 diagnostic test results from 550 live wild badgers from a naturally-infected population to investigate whether one diagnostic test (a gamma interferon release [IFNγ] assay, n = 550 tests) could be used to predict future positive results on two other tests for the same disease (a serological test [n = 2342 tests] and mycobacterial culture [n = 2388

SUBMITTER: Buzdugan SN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9148748 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature