Dreamcatcher Alpacas
Alpaca health · Infectious diseases

Bovine Tuberculosis in Alpacas

Updated 2026-10-02By the Dreamcatcher Alpacas editorial team6 peer-reviewed references
!

Urgent — contact your vet today

Early treatment makes a big difference. Don't wait more than a day.

A slowly progressive bacterial disease that alpacas can catch from cattle or wildlife. It is a public-health and regulatory concern, especially in the UK and Ireland.

Category
Infectious diseases
Urgency
Urgent
Spreads to people
Yes — see below

Signs & symptoms

  • Weight loss and wasting
  • Breathing difficulty or rapid breathing
  • Lethargy, lying down
  • Sudden death with lung or abdominal lesions

What causes it?

Mycobacterium bovis (and M. microti in the UK), spread by inhalation or ingestion from infected cattle, wildlife (e.g., badgers in the UK) or other camelids.

Risk factors

  • Regions with bovine TB in cattle or wildlife
  • Buying animals without pre-movement testing

How vets diagnose it

Skin tests are unreliable in camelids. Validated blood antibody tests are used in some countries; confirmation by culture at necropsy. TB is a notifiable disease.

Treatment

Treatment is not permitted; suspected cases must be reported to the veterinary authority.

Do not wait to see if it improves. Camelids hide illness, and by the time signs are obvious the problem is often advanced. Call your veterinarian.

Prevention

  • Buy from herds in TB testing schemes
  • Use pre- and post-movement blood testing where available
  • Limit wildlife access to feed and water

Can people catch it?

M. bovis can infect people. Wear protection and follow official guidance.

Background

Mycobacterium bovis is a slow-growing aerobic bacterium and the causative agent of tuberculosis in cattle. It is related to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium which causes tuberculosis in humans. M. bovis can jump the species barrier and cause tuberculosis-like infection in humans and other mammals.From Wikipedia — “Mycobacterium bovis”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Research & references

PubMed lists 79 peer-reviewed papers on this topic in camelids. The most relevant include:

  1. Tuberculosis in domestic animal species. Pesciaroli M, Alvarez J, Boniotti MB et al. Research in veterinary science, 2014. PubMed 25151859 · DOI · cited 108×
  2. Tuberculosis in camelids: a review. Wernery U, Kinne J Revue scientifique et technique (International Office of Epizootics), 2012. PubMed 23520743 · DOI · cited 13×
  3. Review of the diagnosis of tuberculosis in non-bovid wildlife species using immunological methods--an update of published work since 2009. Chambers MA Transboundary and emerging diseases, 2013. PubMed 24171845 · DOI · cited 25×
  4. Infectious diseases of New-World camelids (NWC). Thedford TR, Johnson LW The Veterinary clinics of North America. Food animal practice, 1989. PubMed 2647231 · DOI · cited 25×
  5. Mycobacterium bovis infections in domesticated non-bovine mammalian species. Part 2: A review of diagnostic methods. Broughan JM, Crawshaw TR, Downs SH et al. Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997), 2013. PubMed 24135547 · DOI · cited 14×
  6. Advances in the Diagnosis of Reproductive Disorders in Female Camelids. Sghiri A, Ciccarelli M, Waqas MS et al. Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 2025. PubMed 41096497 · DOI · Free full textOpen access · cited 2×

Frequently asked questions

What is bovine Tuberculosis in alpacas?
A slowly progressive bacterial disease that alpacas can catch from cattle or wildlife. It is a public-health and regulatory concern, especially in the UK and Ireland.
What are the signs of bovine Tuberculosis?
Weight loss and wasting, breathing difficulty or rapid breathing, lethargy, lying down and sudden death with lung or abdominal lesions.
How do you prevent bovine Tuberculosis?
Buy from herds in TB testing schemes. Use pre- and post-movement blood testing where available. Limit wildlife access to feed and water.
Is bovine Tuberculosis an emergency?
Urgent — contact your vet today. Early treatment makes a big difference. Don't wait more than a day.
Can people catch it from alpacas?
M. bovis can infect people. Wear protection and follow official guidance.

This page is educational and does not replace advice from a veterinarian who has examined your animals. Camelid medicine uses many drugs “extra-label”, so dosing must come from your vet. In an emergency, call your vet first. Read our disclaimer · How we write and review content.