# Bovine Tuberculosis as a Neglected Zoonotic Disease in Mexico and Latin America: Epidemiological Challenges, Diagnostic Insights, and Public Health Implications in Emerging Economies

## TL;DR

Bovine tuberculosis remains a significant zoonotic disease in Mexico and Latin America, affecting both cattle and humans due to limited surveillance and diagnostic challenges.

## Contribution

The paper emphasizes the role of One Health in integrating animal, human, and environmental approaches to control bovine tuberculosis in emerging economies.

## Key findings

- Bovine tuberculosis persists in Latin America due to limited veterinary services and diagnostic limitations.
- Molecular tools like PCR and whole-genome sequencing offer new avenues for tracking and controlling the disease.
- A One Health approach is crucial for coordinating surveillance and reducing transmission in high-risk populations.

## Abstract

Bovine tuberculosis is a contagious disease of cattle that can also infect people, mainly through close contact with sick animals or by consuming raw milk and fresh cheeses made from infected cows. Its incidence has been reduced in several rich countries, but in Mexico and other Latin American nations it remains a major problem in dairy regions and rural communities, where veterinary services, food controls, and milk pasteurization are often limited. This article reviews historical background, current distribution, symptoms in animals and humans, available tests, and new genetic tools to track the bacteria. It explains that the disease persists because common tests can fail to detect infected animals and because animal health, human health, and food safety sectors rarely coordinate their actions. One Health is analyzed as an integrative epidemiological framework that links surveillance and control actions in animals, humans, and the environment, using shared data to identify high-risk areas, transmission routes, and vulnerable populations. By coordinating veterinarians, physicians, and food authorities, this approach strengthens early detection, the tracing of infection sources, and targeted interventions to reduce bovine tuberculosis in farmers, consumers, and rural communities.

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis, remains one of the most relevant zoonotic diseases worldwide due to its dual impact on livestock production and human health. Although zoonotic tuberculosis has been virtually eradicated from cattle in a few settings, particularly in Australia, the disease persists in much of Latin America, Africa, and Asia, where it continues to limit cattle productivity and pose a threat to public health through the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products and occupational exposure. This review integrates historical, epidemiological, clinical, and molecular perspectives of bTB, with particular emphasis on Mexico, highlighting the role of wildlife reservoirs, socioeconomic factors, and diagnostic limitations in maintaining endemicity. Recent advances in molecular epidemiology, such as PCR, MIRU-VNTR, and whole-genome sequencing, provide promising avenues for surveillance and control. Finally, we discuss the importance of adopting a One Health framework that bridges veterinary, medical, and environmental approaches to achieve sustainable control of this silent zoonosis.