A comparison of perceptions of the tuberculin skin test and an incentive postmortem-based surveillance system in the Mnisi community, Mpumalanga, South Africa

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is a global health concern. Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) are the most common causes of TB in animals and humans respectively. As part of TB control strategies most governments have instituted test and slaughter policies to eradicate bovine TB (bTB). While this has been met with some success, innovative and effective strategies to control TB are needed. We evaluated the postmortem surveillance (PMS) system as an alternative to the tuberculin skin test (TST) and found it to be a potentially cheaper and effective surveillance method. The level of TB awareness in the Mnisi community was also evaluated. Tuberculosis awareness by the community is also an effective way of TB control as education empowers people to make informed choices with regards to mitigating TB risk factors in their daily lives.