In line with the zoonotic disease posts...

Joseph over at Immunoblogging has two posts on Mycobacterium bovis and gives a potential answer to Dave S.'s question here. In post one, Joseph notes (after the fold):

It's interesting to note that Mycobacterium bovis, which infects farmed animals dates back roughly to the time we domesticated animals proving that for a change, we gave one of our pathogens to an animal and not the other way around.

In part two, Joseph discusses mycobacteria in general, and why M. bovis is a threat to farm economies.

Part three discusses the role badgers play (or don't) in the transmission of M. bovis to cattle.

More installments to come--I'll update when they're published.

Image from http://www.neverwhere.org/~steve/graphics/badgers/badger_taxid.jpg

More like this

Mushroom, mushroom.

By Miguelito (not verified) on 02 Apr 2006 #permalink

My girlfriend's 20-month-old niece has acquired a Mycobacterium ssp infection the doc's are referring to as Nontuberculous mycobacterial lymphadenitis. Was a new one for me.

By haliaeetus (not verified) on 02 Apr 2006 #permalink

There had to be at least one. :)

Um, that's not a European badger in the photo. This is a "proper" badger.

I'll have to remember to look for Part IV: it could be quite amusing.

Bob

Should be tommorow or wednesday Bob. One of the two and will most likely be dependant on if I decide to write about TLRs instead (for a bit of a change).

I'm not sure how 'amusing' it will end up being however ;)

Um, that's not a European badger in the photo. This is a "proper" badger.

Heh. Noted. :)

Thanks for the link to Immunoblogging, and to the particular article series.

By Spotted Quoll (not verified) on 10 Apr 2006 #permalink