title: Isolation and molecular characterisation of Mycobacterium bovis from raw milk in Tunisia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Consumption of raw milk and unpasteurized dairy products is common in Tunisia where bovine tuberculosis remains enzootic. We herein investigated the frequency of M. bovis isolation from raw milk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred and six milk samples collected from 102 infected cows in different Tunisian regions were analysed. M. bovis isolates were further characterized by spoligotyping and variable number tandem repeat typing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of five (4.9 %) M. bovis strains exhibiting three different genotypes were isolated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates that consumers of raw milk or derivatives in Tunisia are at high risk of zoonotic infection with M. bovis.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Research Institute of Tunisia, 20, Avenue Djebel Lakhdhar, La Rabta 1006 Tunis, Tunisia. imen.benkahla@hotmail.com
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ben Kahla
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Boschiroli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Souissi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cherif
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benzarti
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boukadida
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hammami
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008892:Milk / Q000382:microbiology*; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014416:Tunisia; D015047:Zoonoses