Investigation of the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis and risk factors for human infection with bovine tuberculosis among dairy and non-dairy farming neighbour households in Dagoretti Division, Nairobi, Kenya.

Abstract

To determine the prevalence of bovine tuberculosis in urban dairy cattle and examine possible risk factors for human infection with bovine tuberculosis (BTB). Cross sectional study. Urban and peri-urban dairy and non-dairy farming neighbour households. One hundred forty three dairy cattle and 299 and 149 dairy and non-dairy neighbour households respectively. Ten percent of the animals (15/143) were found to be reactors to the tuberculin test. The majority of the respondents 57% (168/295) and 72% (106/147) in dairy farming and non-farming households respectively, had limited knowledge of the disease in cattle thus making them unable to adopt any precautionary measures to protect themselves from contracting bovine tuberculosis. Distance from the main house and cattle shed, the time spent attending to the cattle, (on average 4.8 hours), and making of traditionally fermented milk were considered to be the major risk factors. Due to the presumed high background prevalence of human tuberculosis, the specificity of the test employed was unknown. Therefore no definite estimate of the prevalence of BTB was made. It is therefore necessary for further investigation involving culture, isolation and molecular typing from reactors to establish the prevalence of M. bovis in this setting.