TUBERCULOSIS: EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CONTROL OF A MULTI-HOST PATHOGEN

Animal tuberculosis (TB), caused by infection with Mycobacterium bovis and closely related members of the M. tuberculosis complex (MTC), is a globally re-emerging infection at the wildlife-livestock interface. TB control is globally important for public health, economics and conservation. Wildlife species are often part of the MTC maintenance community, complicating TB control attempts. This presentation introduces the current epidemiological situation in Iberia: significance of wildlife hosts; insufficiently known aspects of host pathology, ecology and epidemiology; time series in wildlife TB; and ongoing research on TB control. Finally, the presentation discusses on future avenues for research.

Christian Gortázar (San Sebastián, 1967) is Professor at IREC, a multidisciplinary wildlife research institute belonging to CSIC and Universidad de Castilla – La Mancha in Ciudad Real, Spain (www.SaBio-IREC.com). His research interests include viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases of wildlife, with emphasis on the epidemiology and control of relevant diseases shared with livestock and humans, such as tuberculosis.

[Group Leader: Paulo Célio Alves, Conservation Genetics and Wildlife Management]

Image credits: Christian Gortázar