[Reaction to tuberculin in cows and immune response to tuberculosis pathogen antigens in cattle-breeders].

Reactions to tuberculin in cows from a healthy herd were ascertained to be caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis as latent tuberculous infection was detected in 10.4% of cattle-breeders, including milkmaids looking after infected cows and having a family contact with patients with open-type tuberculosis. In tuberculin-positive cows, the level of antibodies to M. tuberculosis was higher than that of antibodies to M. bovis; mycobacterial antigens and their complexes with antibodies circulated in blood; the investigators isolated mycobacteria with the greatly changed morphology and cultural properties, which were referred to as an M. tuberculosis-M. bovis complex in their antigenic composition and specific DNA sites. Alongside with the traditional diagnostic methods for tuberculosis, the authors underline the need for using enzyme immunoassay, polymerase chain reaction, blood and sputum tests using the VKC medium.