Reduced plasma levels of essential trace elements in Mycobacterium bovis infected cattle in Nigeria.

Abstract

Ninety-four (94- 39 infected, 55 un-infected with M. bovis) cattle were screened at an abattoir and a farm in Ibadan, Southwestern, Nigeria over a period of eight weeks for bovine tuberculosis. The levels of essential trace elements (Zn, Fe, Se, Cu and Mn) in the plasma collected from 39 Mycobacterium bovis infected cattle and 55 M. bovis free cattle were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The result shows significant reduction between p<0.01 and p<0.001 in the levels of all the nutritionally essential trace elements except manganese in the M. bovis infected cattle compared with the un-iinfected ones. Mineral supplementation is therefore advocated in cattle herds in areas where bovine tuberculosis is endemic.
(Afr. J. Biomed. Res. 10: 67 - 72, January 2007)

Keywords: Bovine tuberculosis, trace-elements, reactive oxygen species, immune system, Africa.