Mycobacterium bovis infection in wild red foxes was found in southern France, where livestock and other wildlife species are infected. Foxes frequently interact with cattle but have been underestimated as a reservoir of M. bovis. Our results suggest a possible role of the red fox in the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis.
Keywords: France; Mycobacterium bovis; Tuberculosis and other mycobacterial infections; Vulpes vulpes; bacteria; bovine tuberculosis; excretion; red fox; zoonoses.