Mycobacterium bovis and you: a comprehensive look at the bacteria, its similarities to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and its relationship with human disease

Authors: KANIPE, CARLY - Orise Fellow; Palmer, Mitchell

Submitted to: Tuberculosis
Publication Type: Literature Review
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/29/2020
Publication Date: 12/1/2020
Citation: Kanipe, C., Palmer, M.V. 2020. Mycobacterium bovis and you: a comprehensive look at the bacteria, its similarities to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and its relationship with human disease. Tuberculosis. 125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tube.2020.102006.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tube.2020.102006

Interpretive Summary: The World Health Organization has a goal to reduce the incidence of tuberculosis by 90 percent worldwide by the year 2035. There are several bacteria that can cause tuberculosis which will all need to be targeted to achieve this goal. This review article examines the differences between two of the most common bacteria to cause tuberculosis in people. One species, Mycobacterium bovis is primarily found in cattle but causes disease in people and is a public health risk. The other bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the primary cause of tuberculosis in people. The two different bacteria have differences in their origin, structure, animal species they can infect, environmental persistence, routes of infection, disease and their elicited immune response. These differences create challenges in diagnosing and treating the infection appropriately. In this review the distinguishing features of Mycobacterium bovis are highlighted and the implications of these differences are discussed

Technical Abstract: While Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the primary cause of tuberculosis in people, multiple other mycobacteria are capable of doing so. With the World Health Organization’s goal of a 90 percent reduction in tuberculosis by 2035, all tuberculous mycobacteria need to be addressed. Understanding not only the similarities, but importantly the differences between the different species is crucial if eradication is ever to be achieved. Mycobacterium bovis, while typically thought of as a disease of cattle, remains a possible source of human infection worldwide. Although this species’ genome differs from Mycobacterium tuberculosis by only 0.05 percent, significant differences are present, creating unique challenges to address. This review focuses on features which distinguish this bacterium from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, including differences in origin, structure, environmental persistence, host preferences, infection and disease, host immune response, diagnostics and treatment.