Evaluation of the effectiveness of the surveillance system for tuberculosis in cattle in Spain

Publication date: Available online 20 October 2019Source: Preventive Veterinary MedicineAuthor(s): Sebastian Napp, Giovanna Ciaravino, Bernat Pérez de Val, Jordi Casal, José Luis Saéz, Ana AlbaAbstractIn Spain, the eradication of tuberculosis (TB) in cattle has had some setbacks and therefore we need to re-evaluate the current surveillance strategies. The Spanish cattle TB surveillance system consists of three components: a) routine skin testing, b) slaughterhouse surveillance, and c) pre-movement controls. Our objectives were to assess the effectiveness of the whole surveillance system and evaluate the relative contribution of each of those components, both at national and at the province level. The effectiveness was estimated based on both the sensitivity of detection per year and the time until detection. Moreover, we evaluated the impact of different factors on that effectiveness. We used a stochastic model that simulated the spread of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-complex (MTC) infection within cattle herds that was modified to incorporate the three components of TB surveillance. Input data, at the province level, on cattle movements off-farm or the frequency of the routine screening were provided by the Spanish Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.Under the current conditions, 96.1% of Spanish herds were detected within one year after their infection (i.e. mean sensitivity of TB surveillance), although that detection took on average 178 days. The surveillance sy...
Source: Preventive Veterinary Medicine - Category: Veterinary Research Source Type: research