TUBERCULOSIS AS AN OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE: THE REALITY OF TURKEY AND THE WORLD

Abstract

When it is considered the fact that a major part of emerging diseases in humans are caused by animals, it is taken into account the fact that animal health directly affects human health and animal products are undisputedly necessary in human nutrition, it is concluded that human health is linked with animal health. Tuberculosis that is a bacterial disease, is caused by the species in Mycobacterium (M.) genus, in many domestic and wild animals in the world is an important zoonotic disease that causes the economic losses of our breeders, negatively affects sustainable livestock production, and threaten public health. According to the report in 2018 of World Health Organization, 1.7 billion people, 23% of world population, have been determined to have latent tuberculosis infection across the world in 2017. Humans are at risk of the development of active tuberculosis during their life. Animals infected by the bacteria M. tuberculosis, M. cannettii, M. africanum, M. bovis, M. caprae, M. microti in M. tuberculosis complex transmit tuberculosis to humans. Wild animals, contaminated pasture, forage, and water are important factors for the transmission of tuberculosis to cattle. Humans can become infected by consumption of unpasteurized milk products, wounds on hand, infected carcass products, direct contact to animals, and respiration way. Depending upon these, in the context of this report, brief knowledge was given about all occupational groups at risk including especially veterinarians, slaughterhouse workers, butchers, veterinary technicians, laboratory employees, breeders. In addition, current knowledge was given about diagnosis, treatment, and solution proposals for determined concerns and control measures after the importance of tuberculosis disease, present condition and concerns were summarized by presenting in tables the data of tuberculosis prevalence in humans and animals in Turkey and the world.