From the mouths of monkeys: Swab technique spots tuberculosis in non-human primates
Sunday, June 24, 2012 - 09:00
in Health & Medicine
A new technique detected the first published evidence of tuberculosis pathogens in the mouths of macaques living near people in six Asian countries. The method analyses mouth swabs from monkeys to check for tuberculosis DNA. The findings raise the question of interspecies transmission, but the origin of these infections is uncertain. However, the risk of spread to people appears minimal. The test could help protect the health of the world's primate populations.