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The comparative tuberculin skin test is also used in pigs, South American camelids, goats, sheep and deer. As in cattle, the skin test is the internationally accepted test for M. bovis in live animals, although its performance characteristics in non-bovine species is not as well known.
The gamma interferon test has been evaluated in alpacas under UK conditions. The test is resource-intensive particularly with regard to sample handling and has now been superseded by antibody tests as described below.
Antibody tests validated under UK conditions are available for statutory testing of South American camelids (see references below). A voluntary private health scheme is also available.
There are no antibody tests validated under UK conditions currently available for pigs, sheep, deer or goats.
Paper 1:
> Click here for Rhodes, S., Vordememeier, M. 2012. Validation of antemortem TB tests in camelids. Defra project FT1477 final report [this is a link to a publicly accessible website]
Paper 2:
Rhodes, S., Holden, T. Clifford, D. et al 2012. Evaluation of Gamma Interferon and Antibody Tuberculosis Tests in Alpacas. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology 19, 1677-1683.