School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
J Dairy Sci. 2010 Mar;93(3):1234-42. doi: 10.3168/jds.2009-2609.
Anecdotal evidence points to genetic variation in resistance of cattle to infection with Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis (BTB), and published experimental evidence in deer and cattle suggests significant genetic variation in resistance and reactivity to diagnostic tests. However, such genetic variation has not been properly quantified in the United Kingdom dairy cattle population; it is possible that it exists and may be a factor influencing the occurrence of BTB. Using models based on the outcome of the process of diagnosis (ultimate fate models) and on the outcome of a single stage of diagnosis (continuation ratio models, herd test-date models), this study shows that there is heritable variation in individual cow susceptibility to BTB, and that selection for milk yield is unlikely to have contributed to the current epidemic. Results demonstrate that genetics could play an important role in controlling BTB by reducing both the incidence and the severity of herd breakdowns.
有证据表明，牛对感染牛分枝杆菌（引起牛结核病的病原体）的抵抗力存在遗传变异，并且已发表的鹿和牛的实验证据表明，对诊断测试的抵抗力和反应存在显著的遗传变异。然而，这种遗传变异在英国奶牛群体中尚未得到适当的量化；它可能存在，并且可能是影响牛结核病发生的一个因素。本研究使用基于诊断过程结果的模型（最终结局模型）和单个诊断阶段结果的模型（持续比例模型、群体检测日期模型），表明个体奶牛对牛结核病的易感性存在遗传变异，并且选择产奶量不太可能导致当前的流行。研究结果表明，通过降低群体暴发的发生率和严重程度，遗传学可以在控制牛结核病方面发挥重要作用。
