Temporal and spatial distribution of bovine tuberculosis outbreaks in Turkey (2005-2020 (original) (raw)

This research aims to reveal the temporal changes and spatial patterns of Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) in Turkey in the last 16 years using OIE and MoAF data. Considering the zoonotic character and socioeconomic impact of the disease, the rapid increase in the number of bTB outbreaks has reached alarming levels recently. As a matter of fact, around 20-fold increase in the number of outbreaks between 2005 and 2020 clearly shows this. In the same period, the compensation payment of approximately 611 million new TL (₺) for 168,244 cattle that were conditionally slaughtered and died due to illness reveals the economic impact of the disease. Also, it is known that human cases are caused by M. bovis, although at a low rate (5.3%). In parallel with the increase in the number of bTB outbreaks, it has spread throughout the country (except for some provinces) geographically. It is important to fight bTB disease effectively, to reduce the risks to public health and the socioeconomic losses caused by the disease. For this reason, it is extremely important to monitor the temporal course of the disease outbreaks epidemiologically and to reveal their spatial patterns at various scales. For an effective fight against bTB, it is vital to monitor, analyze, and put into practice the temporal changes and spatial distribution dynamics of all the variables (especially animal movements) of the transmission dynamics in the epidemiology of the disease.