Bovine TB papers spotlight surveillance gaps in Mexico and Latin America

Bovine tuberculosis is getting renewed attention as a veterinary and public health issue in Latin America, with a new 2026 review in Veterinary Sciences arguing that Mycobacterium bovis remains underrecognized in Mexico and across the region despite its impact on cattle productivity, trade, and human health. The paper says the evidence base is still patchy, with molecular data concentrated in a handful of higher-burden Mexican states, and calls for a stronger One Health response linking veterinary, food safety, and human health systems. A second paper, published last week in Preventive Veterinary Medicine, reinforces that point from a different angle: its meta-analysis found that reported M. bovis prevalence in dairy cattle and humans shifts substantially depending on the diagnostic method used and herd-level factors, suggesting surveillance results may be less comparable than they appear. (mdpi.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the takeaway isn’t just that bovine tuberculosis persists, but that detection gaps may be shaping how risk is understood and managed. In Mexico, bovine TB control has long been tied to cross-border trade, with the U.S.-Mexico Binational Committee focused on eradication efforts since 1993 and Mexico’s national campaign dating to 1996. APHIS materials also show how official status decisions hinge on prevalence thresholds, while USDA notes that multiple Mexican states remain under review. That means diagnostic performance, surveillance quality, and regional consistency still matter not only for herd health and zoonotic risk, but also for market access and regulatory confidence. (aphis.usda.gov)

What to watch: Expect more scrutiny on harmonized diagnostics, wildlife and dairy-herd surveillance, and whether One Health recommendations translate into updated control policies and trade-facing reviews in Mexico and the broader region. (aphis.usda.gov)