MATERIALS AND METHODS: Milk samples were aseptically collected from 50 cattle in the Lekok Subdistrict, Pasuruan Regency, and 44 from dairy farms in the Lakarsantri Subdistrict, Wonocolo Subdistrict, Mulyorejo Subdistrict, and Kenjeran Subdistrict, Surabaya, East Java. To detect Mycobacteria at the species level, each sample was assessed by Ziehl-Neelsen staining and PCR using the RD1 and RD4 genes.
RESULTS: The results of PCR assay from 50 samples in Lekok Subdistrict, Pasuruan Regency showed that 30 samples (60%) were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and two samples (4%) were positive for Mycobacterium bovis, although Ziehl-Neelsen staining did not show the presence of Mycobacterium spp. In the Surabaya region, 31 samples (70.45%) were positive for M. tuberculosis and three samples (6.8%) were positive for M. bovis. Six samples (13.63%) from all PCR-positive samples could be detected microscopically with Ziehl-Neelsen.
CONCLUSION: The presence of bovine TB in this study supports the importance of using a molecular tool alongside routine surveillance for a better understanding of the epidemiology of bovine TB in East Java.