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Resumen:
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Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is an infectious disease with a complex epidemiology at the human-animal-environment interface which, despite the application of extensive control measures, is still prevalent in livestock and wildlife in several regions of Spain. The disease, caused by Mycobacterium bovis (and to a lesser extent M. caprae), remains a concern due to its negative impact on animal health and welfare, together with the important consequences for production and animal trade that its presence imposes. Eradication programs of bTB in cattle in Spain are based on a combination of regular test and slaughter policies using mostly the single intradermal test (SIT), the interferon-gamma (IFN-?) assay as an ancillary test in infected herds, and abattoir post-mortem inspection. Disease eradication at the herd level is challenging due to several factors including the limitations in the sensitivity of available diagnostic techniques, the risk of introduction of undetected infected animals, the proximity to positive farms, and the contact with infected wildlife reservoirs. This thesis is based on the application of different analytic tools such as social network analysis, epidemiological models and whole genome sequencing (WGS) to quantify the relative importance of risk factors impairing disease control in Spain using a multidisciplinary approach...
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