Status and control of bovine tuberculosis in Ethiopia

As part of a poverty reduction strategy, Ethiopia has embarked on increasing milk production through smallholder and other dairy schemes. Introduction of improved breeds such as Holstein‐Friesian and intensification of animal husbandry are the centerpieces of such strategy. In the absence of appropriate disease surveillance and food safety standards, intensive animal husbandry can increase the risk of zoonoses. Due to close contact between animals and their owners, the significance of zoonotic TB had been noted. We summarized the fragmentary evidence from literature on status of bovine TB research in Ethiopia. Since accumulation of data is valueless unless it led to practicable control measures, the review put into perspective locally adapted protocols for future control of the disease.