A rare cause of pulmonary tuberculosis

Abstract

We present a case of bovine tuberculosis in a 50-year-old Māori female. She had worked for approximately 7 years at a local freezing works where animal organs were cleaned and packed. The diagnosis was established 4 weeks after commencement of first-line anti-TB therapy. While human zoonotic tuberculosis may be uncommon in developed countries, its diagnosis still has important public health and treatment implications.