# A survey of Irish red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) to establish the prevalence of Mycobacterium bovis

## TL;DR

This study found no evidence of Mycobacterium bovis in Irish red foxes, suggesting they are not a major source of the disease in the region.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence on the role of red foxes in the transmission of M. bovis in Ireland.

## Key findings

- M. bovis was not detected in any of the 218 fox tissue samples.
- Non-tuberculous mycobacteria were found in 20 foxes.
- Foxes are likely not a significant wildlife source of M. bovis in Ireland.

## Abstract

Between October 2018 and December 2020, an opportunistic collection of tissues from 218 foxes was undertaken to investigate the prevalence of Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) in this species. A pooled sample of lymph nodes, lung and other tissues from each fox, was cultured for the presence of M. bovis. The organism was not isolated from any fox samples, but non-tuberculous mycobacteria were recovered from 20 foxes. These results suggest that it is unlikely that foxes represent a significant wildlife source of M. bovis in Ireland.