Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a chronic infection of the lungs and lymph nodes of many species of animals. Dogs and cats are quite resistant to this disease but cattle, deer and monkeys are quite susceptible.

The organism responsible for tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis. There are specific strains that affect each type of animal but all of them on occasion infect humans.

The human strain is passed from victim to victim by a cough. Before the advent of pasteurization, raw milk was the major source of the bovine strain.

Pet African and Asian monkeys are now a common source of exposure. Unfortunately, new strains of tuberculosis are now often immune to the most common anti-tuberculosis drugs, isoniazide and rifampin.