Bovine Tuberculosis: A Health Alert Issued in Corsica

A cow abandoned in front of the Bastia prefecture following a protest by disgruntled farmers on April 20, 2015, was found to be infected with bovine tuberculosis.   After a demonstration by young Corsican farmers demanding an increase in start-up assistance on the island was dispersed, a cow remained alone, tied to the gates of the prefecture. The results of tests conducted on the animal by the Departmental Directorate for Social Cohesion and the Protection of Populations (DDCSPP) have led the Haute-Corse Prefecture to issue a health alert effective today. It urges anyone who has come into contact with this cow and is not protected by the BCG vaccine to remain vigilant. This is because Mycobacterium bovis tuberculosis is a zoonosis, often transmitted through the respiratory tract. The bacteria can thus infect humans, as well as other ruminant species such as deer, wild boars, badgers, and foxes. Infection among wildlife makes its eradication more complex. In domestic cattle, M. bovis infection is frequently asymptomatic. The disease progresses slowly, over months or even years, and infected animals can transmit it to many others before showing clinical signs. Since 2001, France has been considered “officially free of bovine tuberculosis” by the European Union, despite the persistence of about 100 outbreaks annually within its borders, particularly in Côte-d’Or, Dordogne, Camargue, and the Southwest. An increase in the number of cases could jeopardize this disease-free status, which facilitates international trade in cattle and imports of breeding stock from third countries.