Scientists have uncovered distinct genetic groups of the bacterium behind bovine tuberculosis across Wales in a study that uses whole-genome sequencing to examine 379 samples collected from infected animals in 2021.
The research, published in Nature Scientific Reports, identified regional variations in the bacterium responsible for bovine TB, providing a detailed picture of how the organism varies between areas. One of the dominant groups was found only in south-west Wales in the study’s dataset. The significance of such changes for the bacterium’s behaviour requires further investigation.
Bovine tuberculosis affects cattle health and farm businesses while placing considerable emotional, social and financial pressures on farming communities in Wales. Researchers can aid in the creation of improved disease control strategies by gaining insight into how the bacterium evolves over time and moves among and inside wildlife and cattle populations.
The study used whole-genome sequencing, a technique providing far greater genetic detail than earlier methods used to characterise the bacterium, to analyse the DNA of the Mycobacterium bovis bacterium.
She said that grasping transmission on a local scale might enable experts to transition from merely mapping infection pathways to comprehending the fundamental biology of the pathogen.
The research team also found less common strains not normally found in Wales, with cattle movements cited as one potential explanation for how these strains may have been introduced from outside the country.
Experts from Aberystwyth University conducted the project alongside partners from Queen’s University Belfast and the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Financial support for the study came from the Sêr Cymru II project held by Professor Glyn Hewinson, which was responsible for establishing the Sêr Cymru Centre of Excellence for Bovine TB.
The sequencing of M. bovis isolates was funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs alongside the Welsh and Scottish Governments.
