Officials from the Public health England (PHE) and the Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) looked into nine cases of mycobacterium bovis or M.bovis in pet cats from Berkshire and Hampshire in 2012. They identified 39 people who were in contact with the virus infected cats.
After screening 24 patients with suspected TB infection, experts found two people with active TB and two others with latent TB that is they had been exposed to the virus some time but did not have the disease.
Researchers noted identical M.bovis virus in both infected cats and those with active infection after individually examining them. This points to cat-to-human transfer. The analysis could not help associate virus attacks in those with latent TB infection or identify the virus source. Experts say that the risk of catching the infection from cats is low but people should still seek medical advice