Prevalence of Bovine Tuberculosis Caused by Species of the Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Complex in Bangui, Central African Republic, in 2025

Abstract

Introduction: Bovine tuberculosis, caused mainly by Mycobacterium bovis, is an important zoonosis, but epidemiological evidence from the Central African Republic remains limited. Aims: This study determined the apparent prevalence of bovine tuberculosis among cattle slaughtered in Bangui. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 to 31 July 2025 at the SEGA slaughterhouse in Bangui. All cattle slaughtered during the study period underwent ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection. Samples were collected from organs showing suspicious lesions and analysed using the GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay at the National Laboratory of Clinical Biology and Public Health. Data were analysed using Epi Info version 7. Results: A total of 7,635 cattle were slaughtered, with a mean age of 5 ± 3 years. Males accounted for 63.39% of the animals, and cattle aged 5 years or older represented 84.24% of the study population. Of the 260 samples collected from suspicious lesions, 207 tested positive using GeneXpert MTB/RIF, corresponding to an apparent prevalence of 2.71%. Confirmed lesions were mainly located in the lungs (24.63%), followed by the kidneys and liver (18.35% each) and the heart (16.90%). In the multivariate analysis, age ≥ 5 years (aOR = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.09–0.42) and male sex (aOR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.23–0.92) were associated with a protective effect (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Bovine tuberculosis was detected among cattle slaughtered in Bangui, with an apparent prevalence of 2.71%. Because asymptomatic animals were not screened, the true extent of disease circulation may have been underestimated. Strengthening veterinary surveillance and diagnostic capacity is necessary to improve understanding of the epidemiology of this infection in the Central African Republic.