biostudies-literatureAcquah SEKGSK-EDCTPPANDORA-ID-NET, EDCTPe0010649https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9398027biostudies-literatureUnknown16(8)<h4>Objective</h4>We conducted an abattoir-based cross-sectional study in the five administrative regions of Northern Ghana to determine the distribution of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) among slaughtered carcasses and identify the possibility of zoonotic transmission.<h4>Methods</h4>Direct smear microscopy was done on 438 tuberculosis-like lesions from selected cattle organs and cultured on Lowenstein-Jensen media. Acid-fast bacilli (AFB) isolates were confirmed as members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) by PCR amplification of IS6110 and rpoß. Characterization and assignment into MTBC lineage and sub-lineage were done by spoligotyping, with the aid of the SITVIT2, miruvntrplus and mbovis.org databases. Spoligotype data was compared to that of clinical M. bovis isolates from PLoS neglected tropical diseasesMolecular epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis in Northern Ghana identifies several uncharacterized bovine spoligotypes and suggests possible zoonotic transmission.PMC9398027TMA.2017.GSF.1942-TB-DMAkugre EATetteh AYAsare PAsante-Poku AAfum TAcquah SEKDanso EKObiri-Danso KAyamdooh YISamad OAYeboah-Manu DTetteh POsei-Wusu SKock RBoateng DQuaye LfalseMolecular epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis in Northern Ghana identifies several uncharacterized bovine spoligotypes and suggests possible zoonotic transmission.<h4>Objective</h4>We conducted an abattoir-based cross-sectional study in the five administrative regions of Northern Ghana to determine the distribution of bovine tuberculosis (BTB) among slaughtered carcasses and identify the possibility of zoonotic transmission.<h4>Methods</h4>Direct smear microscopy was done on 438 tuberculosis-like lesions from selected cattle organs and cultured on Lowenstein-Jensen media. Acid-fast bacilli (AFB) isolates were confirmed as members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) by PCR amplification of IS6110 and rpoß. Characterization and assignment into MTBC lineage and sub-lineage were done by spoligotyping, with the aid of the SITVIT2, miruvntrplus and mbovis.org databases. Spoligotype data was compared to that of clinical M. bovis isolates from 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Aug2025-04-25T19:09:38.618Z2025-04-06T07:50:21.17ZS-EPMC93980273595163810.1371/journal.pntd.0010649