The experimental conditions here reported are far from the natural ones, and numerous factors such as variation in
sunshine exposure (Duffield & Young, 1985), temperature and humidity, competition with other soil inhabitants and protection by protists such as encysted amoebae (Mba Medie et al., 2011) may interfere in one way or another with the survival of MTC mycobacteria in the soil. Therefore, the data herein reported could prompt further field studies to confirm the survival of MTC in soil and contaminated soil as a source for natural infection of mammals