The World Organisation for Animal Health has successfully completed a comprehensive evaluation of bovine tuberculin diagnostic candidates, establishing standardised benchmarks that will harmonise tuberculosis surveillance protocols across its 180+ member nations. This landmark achievement addresses long-standing variability in reagent quality and diagnostic accuracy that has hindered coordinated global animal health responses. Standardised tuberculin reagents are essential for the intradermal tuberculin test, the gold-standard diagnostic for bovine TB detection using purified protein derivative from Mycobacterium bovis. The evaluation marks a critical advancement in disease control infrastructure, particularly for developing economies where bovine TB remains endemic in livestock and wildlife populations. By ensuring diagnostic consistency across borders, WOAH’s initiative strengthens international livestock trade security, enhances disease surveillance capabilities, and reduces the zoonotic transmission risk posed by undetected infections. This standardisation effort reflects the organisation’s commitment to protecting food security and public health globally.
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