Molecular Epidemiology of Mycobacterium bovis in Africa

Abstract

During the past two decades, epidemiology as a discipline has undergone marked changes resulting in a proliferation of subspecialties, one of which is molecular epidemiology. Molecular epidemiology is defined as the application of molecular markers to solve epidemiological problems, and it includes the use of taxonomic, phylogenetic, and population genetic characterization of causal organisms. It is thus a discipline that allows one to conduct a ``forensic'' audit of the disease dynamics in a population by superimposing host and/or pathogen molecular markers to population structure-based practices and events in time and space. This is usually done retrospectively; therefore, understanding the history of a population is critical to effectively utilize the data generated by molecular epidemiological techniques. The history of Africa was shaped by both local and international events, all of which directly or indirectly affected the health of its people and animals. This chapter describes historical and contemporary insights into the molecular epidemiology of Mycobacterium bovis in Africa.