Multihost Tuberculosis: Insights from the Portuguese Control Program

This paper describes the current situation of animal tuberculosis in Portugal, reviewing the accomplishments and constraints of the 2001-2009 period. Notwithstanding the substantial progress achieved with the implementation of a comprehensive test and cull scheme, notification, postmortem inspection and surveillance at slaughterhouses, herd and animal prevalence have unexpectedly increased in 2009. In parallel, the recent awareness of tuberculosis in local free-ranging wildlife species causes concern regarding the final steps towards eradication, demanding new approaches to the existing disease control policies.