Abstract
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is a chronic infectious disease widely distributed in the cattle population in Mexico, a campaign against bTB was officially stablished in 1996, but up to now few and isolated epidemiological studies of the disease have been carried out in the country. Information on the status of bovine tuberculosis in SLP available from academic studies and public data is limited, and no attempts have been made to characterize the spatial distribution of bovine tuberculosis in the state to date. A better understanding of the disease spatial distribution and the factors associated with increased risk is required to implement more effective control measures.
A cross-sectional study based on bTB testing on >1,600 herds in two regions of San Luis Potosi state, Altiplano and Huasteca, during 2018-2021 was conducted for the identification of spatial clustering and of bTB risk factors using the scan statistic test and multivariable logistic regression models.
The proportion of herds with at least one reactor was 17.9% in Altiplano and 38.6% in Huasteca, with one high risk cluster present in each region, that comprised 27.7% and 57.4% of the positive herds. Larger herds (>20 animals) and those included in the spatial cluster were exposed to a significantly increased risk of having at least one reactor in both regions.
Results demonstrated the presence of certain herds exposed to higher risk depending on their size and location in both regions, suggesting similar patterns of transmission; these findings can be used to further investigate how the disease spreads in San Luis Potosi