The bovine tubercle bacillus

The bovine tubercle bacillus has always been eclipsed by the much higher in cidence and the social and economic importance of its human cousin, as well as by the clinical unimportance of differentiating between the two. Nevert heless, in view of the resurgence of tuberculosis generally, the increase i n the number of immunosuppressed individuals (i.e. the AIDS epidemic) and t he 'great badger debate', there is renewed interest in it. Briefly, this re view explores the history of Mycobacterium bovis and its potential for tran smission between cattle and humans.