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Bovine TB in Humans Fact SheetEspañol (Spanish)										Related Pages
										***Mycobacterium bovis*****(Bovine Tuberculosis) in Humans**
**What is*****Mycobacterium bovis*****?**
In the United States, the majority of tuberculosis (TB) cases in people are caused by *Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis)* is another *mycobacterium* that can cause TB disease in people.
*M. bovis* is most commonly found in cattle and other animals such as bison, elk, and deer. In people, *M. bovis* causes TB disease that can affect the lungs, lymph nodes, and other parts of the body. However, as with *M. tuberculosis*, not everyone infected with *M. bovis* becomes sick. People who are infected but not sick have what is called latent TB infection (LTBI). People who have LTBI do not feel sick, do not have any symptoms, and cannot spread TB to others. However, some people with LTBI go on to get TB disease.
**How common is human disease with*****M. bovis*****?**
*M. bovis* causes a relatively small proportion, less than 2%, of the total number of cases of TB disease in the United States. This accounts for less than 230 TB cases per year in the United States. *M. bovis* transmission from cattle to people was once common in the United States. This has been greatly reduced by decades of disease control in cattle and by routine pasteurization of cow’s milk.
**How are people infected with*****M. bovis?***
People are most commonly infected with *M. bovis* by eating or drinking contaminated, unpasteurized dairy products. The pasteurization process, which destroys disease-causing organisms in milk by rapidly heating and then cooling the milk, eliminates *M. bovis* from milk products.
Infection can also occur from direct contact with a wound, such as what might occur during slaughter or hunting, or by inhaling the bacteria in air exhaled by animals infected with *M. bovis.* Direct transmission from animals to humans through the air is thought to be rare, but *M. bovis* can be spread directly from person to person when people with the disease in their lungs cough or sneeze.
**How do I know if I’ve been infected with*****M. bovis?***
Most people are at very low risk for being infected with *M. bovis.* People at higher risk include individuals who work with cattle, bison, or cervids (e.g., deer or elk), or products from these animals such as hides, milk, or meat. Examples of occupations or hobbies that might put people at increased risk include ranching, dairy farming, working in a slaughterhouse or as a butcher, and hunting. People who drink raw (unpasteurized) milk or consume dairy products made from raw milk are also at greater risk. People who might be at higher risk of *M. bovis* infection should talk to their healthcare providers about whether they should be regularly screened for TB infection. Screening tests include the tuberculin skin test (TST) and the interferon-gamma release assay (blood test).
**What are the symptoms of*****M. bovis*****in people?**
Not all *M. bovis* infections progress to TB disease, so there might be no symptoms at all. In people, symptoms of TB disease caused by *M. bovis* are similar to the symptoms of TB caused by *M. tuberculosis*; this can include fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Other symptoms might occur depending on the part of the body affected by the disease.
For example, disease in the lungs can be associated with a cough, and gastrointestinal disease can cause abdominal pain and diarrhea. If untreated, a person can die of the disease.
**How is*****M. bovis*****treated in people?**
*M. bovis* is treated similarly to *M. tuberculosis*. In fact, healthcare providers might not know that a person has *M. bovis* instead of *M. tuberculosis*. *M. bovis* is usually resistant to one of the antibiotics, pyrazinamide, typically used to treat TB disease. However, resistance to just pyrazinamide does not usually cause problems with treatment, because TB disease is treated with a combination of several antibiotics. Latent infection without disease is not treated with pyrazinamide.
**Are all cattle infected with*****M. bovis?***
No. The Cooperative State-Federal Tuberculosis Eradication Program, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state animal health agencies, and U.S. livestock producers, has nearly eliminated *M. bovis* infection from cattle in the United States. Inspectors test more than one million animals a year for TB and have taken steps to eradicate the disease. However, *M. bovis* can be found in wild animals such as bison, elk, and deer; uninfected cattle that come into contact with these wild animals can become infected.
Cattle outside the United States, particularly in developing countries, might not have the same level of inspection for *M. bovis* infection. Be cautious when consuming imported dairy products and ensure that the products have been properly pasteurized.
**How can*****M. bovis*****infection be prevented?**
The most commonly reported source of *M. bovis* infection in people is the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products. Unpasteurized dairy products, such as milk or cheese, should not be consumed: although *M. bovis* infection in U.S. domestic cattle is substantially reduced compared to the past, unpasteurized dairy product consumption still carries health risks. To make sure that dairy products are pasteurized, check the label and ingredients list and make sure that the word “pasteurized” is listed. Use caution when purchasing homemade dairy products such as cheeses or products that are sold without complete labeling of the ingredients.
People at risk for contact with body fluids or tissue from a wild bison or cervid (e.g., deer or elk) into a wound, such as hunters, should promptly seek medical attention and inform their healthcare providers about the exposure to a wild animal that might carry *M. bovis.*
People who spend extended periods in close contact with cattle or other animals that might carry *M. bovis,* such as dairy workers, should promptly seek medical attention for any illness with symptoms of TB disease as described above and ensure that their health care providers are aware that they work in close contact with animals.
**Additional Information**
U.S. Department of Agriculture Bovine Tuberculosis fact sheet
State TB Control Offices
Signs and Symptoms of TB Disease
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						Page last reviewed:  September 1, 2012					Content source: 	Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention homeTuberculosisBasic TB Factsplus iconHow TB SpreadsLatent TB Infection and TB DiseaseSigns & SymptomsTB Risk FactorsExposure to TBTB PreventionVaccinesTB & HIV CoinfectionTB and DiabetesTB TermsPersonal StoriesTesting & Diagnosisplus iconWho Should be TestedTesting for TB InfectionTesting in BCG-Vaccinated PersonsTB Screening and Testing of Health Care PersonnelTesting During PregnancyDiagnosing latent TB infection and TB diseaseTreatmentplus iconDeciding When to Treat Latent TB InfectionTreatment Regimens for Latent TB Infection (LTBI)Treatment for TB DiseaseAdverse EventsTB Treatment of Persons Living with HIVTB Treatment and PregnancyTB Treatment for ChildrenFrequently Asked QuestionsDrug-Resistant TBResearchplus iconTB Epidemiologic Studies Consortiumplus iconResearch ProjectsPublicationsTB Trials Consortiumplus iconStudy DescriptionsBackgroundBehavioral & Social Science ResearchHealth Care Settingsplus iconTB Infection Control in Health Care SettingsResources for TB Screening and Testing of Health Care Personnelplus iconFrequently Asked QuestionsTB in Specific Populationsplus iconHealth DisparitiesAsian PersonsBlack or African American PersonsHispanic or Latino PersonsChildrenPregnancyCorrectional FacilitiesPeople Experiencing HomelessnessInternational TravelersLaboratory Informationplus iconDrug Susceptibility TestingFalse-Positive Investigation ToolkitInterim Laboratory Biosafety Guidance for XDR  tuberculosis strainsModel Performance Evaluation Program (MPEP)Rapid Molecular Testing to Detect Drug-Resistant TB in the USplus iconExecutive SummaryIntroductionBackground on Tests for Molecular Detection of DRGeneral Considerations and Principles for a Molecular DR Testing ServicePossible Scenarios and Scope of Testing for a Molecular DR Testing ServiceResearch NeedsGeneral Recommendations of the Expert PanelCommunication Plan for the ReportRecommendationsReferencesPanel Members and CDC ParticipantsAppendix 1Appendix 2Appendix 3The Uses of Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests for the Diagnosis of TBplus iconGeneral ConsiderationsGeneral Recommendations of the Expert PanelRecommendations to ACET, CDC, DTBEData & Statisticsplus iconTB Incidence in the United StatesReported TB in the US, 2022 Surveillance Reportplus iconNational DataReporting Area DataRisk FactorsDemographicsTB Treatment and Case OutcomesDrug-Resistant TBMolecular SurveillanceTuberculosis in the United States, 2022 (Slide Set)Archived Surveillance Reports and Slide Sets2021 State and City ReportArchived State and City ReportsProfessional Resources & Toolsplus iconTools for Healthcare ProvidersResources for TB Programsplus iconStrengthening Civil Surgeons’ Capacity to Improve LTBI Surveillance and Outcomes Among Status AdjustersNotice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)Program EvaluationTB Centers of ExcellenceTB Elimination AllianceTB Genotypingplus iconConventional TB GenotypingWhole Genome SequencingTB GIMSAnalytic ToolsLatent Tuberculosis Infection ResourcesPublications & Productsplus iconPatient and Public MaterialsFact SheetsGuidelinesplus iconControl & EliminationDrug-Resistant TBInfection Control & PreventionLaboratory & GenotypingTB & HIVTB in Specific PopulationsTesting & DiagnosisTreatmentVaccines & ImmunizationsArchived TB GuidelinesGuides & Toolkitsplus iconAggregate ReportsCDC TB Surveillance TrainingCore CurriculumEffective TB Interviewing for Contact InvestigationEthnographic GuidesFalse-Positive Investigation ToolkitForging Partnerships to Eliminate TuberculosisGuide to Application of GenotypingLTBI: A Guide for Primary Health Care ProvidersMantoux Tuberculin Skin Testing ProductsReport of Verified Case of Tuberculosis (RVCT)Self-Study ModulesTB Contact Investigation Interviewing Skills CourseTB eDOT ToolkitUnderstanding the TB Cohort Review ProcessNewslettersplus iconTB Notes, No. 4, 2023TB Notes, No. 3, 2023TB Notes. No. 2, 2023TB Notes. No. 1, 2023TB Notes, No. 4, 2022TB Notes, No. 3, 2022TB Notes, No. 2, 2022TB Notes, No. 1, 2022TB Notes, No. 4, 2021TB Notes, No. 3, 2021TB Notes, No. 2, 2021TB Notes, No. 1, 2021Pamphlets, Brochures, Bookletsplus iconQuestions and AnswersPatient Education SeriesTuberculosis - Get the FactsTuberculosis - The Connection between TB and HIV12-Dose Regimen for Latent TB Infection-Patient Education BrochurePostersplus iconMantoux Tuberculin Skin Test Wall ChartWorld TB DayThink TBStop TBTake on TBReports & Articlesplus iconDTBE Authored Journal ArticlesTuberculosis Laboratory Aggregate ReportsSlide Setsplus iconIntroduction to TuberculosisEpidemiology of Tuberculosis Among Non-U.S.​–Born Persons in the United States, 1993–2016Self-Study Modules on Tuberculosis, 1-5 Slide SetsThe Tuberculosis (TB) in Correctional Settingsplus iconFacilitator GuideIntroduction to TB GenotypingEpidemiology of Tuberculosis in Correctional Facilities, United States, 1993-2017Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis in Correctional and Detention FacilitiesGuidelines for Preventing the Transmission of M. TB in Health care SettingsInvestigation of Contacts of Persons with Infectious TBEpidemiology of Pediatric Tuberculosis in the United StatesTargeted Tuberculosis Testing and Treatment of Latent Tuberculosis InfectionElectronic Tools & ResourcesWeb-Based Courses & Webinarsplus iconTB 101 for Health Care WorkersContent SyndicationInfographicsplus iconSocial Media GraphicsCustomizable Take on TB Infographic with InstructionsEventsWorld TB Dayplus iconU.S. TB ChampionsHistoryFeaturesplus iconTB Risk FactorsTreating Latent TB Infection with Short-Course RegimensWorld Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2021World Tuberculosis (TB) Day 2020Linksplus iconState TB Control OfficesAbout Usplus iconMission Statement and Activitiesplus iconDTBE Strategic PlanNational TB Program ObjectivesOrganization ChartAdvisory Groupsplus iconFederal TB Task Force To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address			What's this?				Submit


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