Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 May 2009
A survey of the extent of bovine type human tuberculosis in Northern Ireland has been made from unselected material during the past 5 years.
Only one case of bovine type pulmonary tuberculosis was found out of more than 1000 cases.
The proportion of bovine type cases in the non-respiratory group was 4·3%; 3·3% of meningitis cases were of bovine origin.
A marked decline in the extent of bovine type infection is shown to have occurred during the past 10 years. This is believed to be due to a great increase in the pasteurization of milk during this period. Milk was a particularly valuable food during the war, and pasteurization facilitated its distribution.