Member organism of M. tuberculosis complex and the causative infectious agent of TB in cattle. It also causes infection and disease in humans, who become infected by consuming unpasteurized dairy products from tuberculous cows. Human M. bovis TB disease has certain distinctive characteristics but in practical terms is indistinguishable from human-variant TB. Human pulmonary M. bovis TB disease probably is transmissible to other humans by the airborne route, and secondary cases can result, especially among vulnerable contacts.

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