Publication Highlight: Detection of Mycobacterium bovis in nasal swabs from communal goats (Capra hircus) in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

A new publication by our GenPath Africa colleagues Wynand Goosen, Michele Miller and Rob Warren from Stellenbosch University compares methods of detecting Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis), a type of bacteria that causes tuberculosis in cattle and can infect humans, and shows that M. bovis poses a serious health risk in rural South Africa.

What is this publication about?

In this study, researchers compared traditional methods of testing for the bacteria with newer ones and found that advanced techniques like targeted deep sequencing were quicker and more accurate in detecting M. bovis in a group of communal goats that shared pastures with infected cattle.

Why is that exciting?

The study results show two important things: that there is a high risk of tuberculosis spreading from animals to humans in rural South-Africa and what powerful tools advanced testing methods can be in early disease detection. Identifying at-risk areas as early as possible is crucial in guiding public health responses to the disease, and as evident in this study, techniques like targeted deep sequencing offer much quicker and more precise methods of doing so than traditional methods have in the past.

How can it make a difference?

If used more widely, advanced testing methods can help reduce losses in farming and can significantly improve public health by helping to manage and control the spread of tuberculosis from animals to humans in at-risk areas.

Deborah M. Cooke, Charlene Clarke, Tanya J. Kerr, Robin M. Warren, Carmel Witte, Michele A. Miller, Wynand J. Goosen. “Detection of Mycobacterium bovis in nasal swabs from communal goats (Capra hircus) in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa,” Frontiers in Microbiology, 15:1349163, 14 February 2024, doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1349163