Effect of gastro-intestinal parasitosis on tuberculin test for the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis

A study was conducted on hundred-one heifers aging 1.5 to 2.5 years to determine the effect of infection with different gastro-intestinal parasites namely, fasciola, paramphistomum, schistosome, strongyle and coccidia on the immune response to tuberculin test. De-wormed heifers reacted to tuberculin injection significantly differently (P<0.05) than non de-wormed ones. Significantly (P<0.05) higher immune response to tuberculin injection was observed when animal was negative than when it was positive for fasciola or strongyle only. This preliminary work warrants further investigation on the importance of de-worming animals before conducting tuberculin test for the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis. © GSP, India.