RAPID DIAGNOSIS OF TUBERCULOSIS AND DIFFERENTIATION OF NON-SPECIFIC TUBERCULIN RESPONSES IN ANIMALS
The paper presents the results of the introduction of developed rapid method “ZhAT” using an integrated allergy-depressant that provides intravenous administration of 100 cm<sup>3</sup> of 20% solution of calcium borongluconate during 4 days and single intramuscular administration of 5 cm<sup>3</sup> of 20% nitamin solution, followed by repeated test within 7-10 days conducting simultaneous intradermal and palpebral tuberculin tests for lifetime differentiation of tuberculin reactions in cattle on the farms of the Almaty Region favorable in terms of TB. The repetition after 7 days of the developed rapid method “ZhAT” allowed increasing the specificity of intradermal tuberculin test, reducing the terms of lifetime differential diagnosis of tuberculosis and mycobacteriosis in animals reacting to tuberculin and excluding non-specific short-term sensitization of their organism to tuberculin. The introduction of improved integrated differentiated studies in agricultural enterprises of the Almaty Region made it possible to exclude diagnosis “Tuberculosis” and to diagnose “Micobacteriosis” against the background of parasitocenoses in reacting to tuberculin cattle and to set short-term non-specific sensitization of the organism with saprophytic and atypical mycobacteria, thereby preventing unnecessary slaughter of 258 pedigree cattle (Alatau and Holstein Friesian breeds) and highly productive cows. The authors revealed definite relationship of inoculation and species identification of acid cultures of pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic mycobacteria on the lesions of internal organs and lymph node in reacting to tuberculin cattle. The specific tuberculosis changes in cattle were most often found in their regional lymph nodes rather than in internal organs. It is proved that on TB favorable farms in the Almaty Region, non-specific tuberculin sensitivity in cows aged 4 to 9 years is of seasonal nature.