Tuberculosis (TB) has caused human sufferings for millennia. The impact of zoonotic TB (zTB) has been known for a long time and has resulted in the incorporation of milk pasteurization as a preventive public health measure in many countries. Most cases of human TB are caused by M. tuberculosis. However, TB in domestic ruminants is mainly caused by M. bovis and M. caprae that infect other animal species and also humans. The role that these MTBC members play in public health are being increasingly acknowledged. The roadmap for zTB jointly proposed by WHO, WOAH, FAO and IUTLD to address the sanitary and economic impact of this disease. It is the first roadmap for livestock TB and its zoonotic transmission to humans through consumption of dairy or meat products. According to data published by the WHO, more than 140,000 people are infected and more than 12,000 die every year due to zTB, particularly in the African and Southeast Asian regions. In the EU, the data available indicates that zoonotic M. bovis transmission represents 0.4 % of all cases but this data may be underestimated as it is not always possible to confirm the particular TB species or conduct appropriate epidemiological investigations. Livestock TB control programs were originally implemented to reduce the risk posed by zoonotic transmission to humans. Successes in controlling infections in livestock, together with measures to control products from animals with suspected infection have contributed to lowering the annual incidence of cases of zTB in developed countries, while the incidence tends to be higher in countries where public animal health resources are inadequate to manage costly bovine TB control programs.
TB eradication in domestic ruminants is difficult to achieve mainly due to: (I) limited knowledge on the immunological response against the infection, (II) complex epidemiology, including several domestic and wildlife reservoirs, (III) the absence of an effective vaccine (IV), a limited performance of the current diagnostic tests and even (V) societal aspects. Therefore, there is a need to continue working on these fields of TB research.
In this research topic we intend to close knowledge gaps in different aspects of the immunology, pathology, epidemiology, diagnosis and control of TB in domestic ruminants in order to increase knowledge about this important zoonotic disease. This will contribute to TB eradication in domestic ruminants that will also represent an important step towards reaching the global goal of human TB eradication set for the year 2050 (End TB strategy, WHO).
Tuberculosis (TB) has caused human sufferings for millennia. The impact of zoonotic TB (zTB) has been known for a long time and has resulted in the incorporation of milk pasteurization as a preventive public health measure in many countries. Most cases of human TB are caused by M. tuberculosis. However, TB in domestic ruminants is mainly caused by M. bovis and M. caprae that infect other animal species and also humans. The role that these MTBC members play in public health are being increasingly acknowledged. The roadmap for zTB jointly proposed by WHO, WOAH, FAO and IUTLD to address the sanitary and economic impact of this disease. It is the first roadmap for livestock TB and its zoonotic transmission to humans through consumption of dairy or meat products. According to data published by the WHO, more than 140,000 people are infected and more than 12,000 die every year due to zTB, particularly in the African and Southeast Asian regions. In the EU, the data available indicates that zoonotic M. bovis transmission represents 0.4 % of all cases but this data may be underestimated as it is not always possible to confirm the particular TB species or conduct appropriate epidemiological investigations. Livestock TB control programs were originally implemented to reduce the risk posed by zoonotic transmission to humans. Successes in controlling infections in livestock, together with measures to control products from animals with suspected infection have contributed to lowering the annual incidence of cases of zTB in developed countries, while the incidence tends to be higher in countries where public animal health resources are inadequate to manage costly bovine TB control programs.
TB eradication in domestic ruminants is difficult to achieve mainly due to: (I) limited knowledge on the immunological response against the infection, (II) complex epidemiology, including several domestic and wildlife reservoirs, (III) the absence of an effective vaccine (IV), a limited performance of the current diagnostic tests and even (V) societal aspects. Therefore, there is a need to continue working on these fields of TB research.
In this research topic we intend to close knowledge gaps in different aspects of the immunology, pathology, epidemiology, diagnosis and control of TB in domestic ruminants in order to increase knowledge about this important zoonotic disease. This will contribute to TB eradication in domestic ruminants that will also represent an important step towards reaching the global goal of human TB eradication set for the year 2050 (End TB strategy, WHO).