CONCLUSION
The genotypic characterization allowed the identification of differentM. tuberculosis var. bovis genotypes circulating in the state of
Pernambuco, presenting both two large clusters by spoligotypingbut evidencing considerable heterogeneity when using 24-MIRU-VNTR. The
consumption of raw milk and dairy products is still a frequent habit in
the region endemic for bovine tuberculosis is endemic and together with
our data on disease pathology and occurring of transmission between
animals from a sampling not designed for detecting such an event warns
us for an increased risk of zoonotic transmission. This should draw the
attention of health authorities to the possibility of sharing commonM. tuberculosis var. bovis isolates between dairy cattle and the
population of the region. Having in mind the diversity of genotypes
obtained by combining spoligotyping and 24-MIRU-VNTR in the
present setting, this methodology could be additive during transmission
studies.