[Swine tuberculosis and public health].

Tuberculous lesions in pigs are caused by M. avium in the majority of cases. It was shown that compost may be a source of infection in pigs. Birds rarely are sources of infection by M. avium in pigs. Although infected pigs were believed to be capable of infecting man, it was rendered plausible that pigs and man are infected by similar sources of infection. Therefore, M. avium infections in pigs do not constitute a hazard to public health.