Old Threat, New Insights: One Health Approach to Tuberculosis

Zoonoses pose an increasingly significant threat to global health. Respiratory pathogens are particularly concerning due to their rapid transmission capacity and pandemic potential. While emerging viruses demand vigilant surveillance for pandemic risk, we must not overlook „old“ pathogens that cause severe human disease. Members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex exemplify this challenge, with zoonotic tuberculosis remaining a critical public health concern. These pathogens and their natural reservoir hosts have coevolved extensively, with the host immune system employing multiple mechanisms that often facilitate persistent infection. The specific immune mechanisms governing host adaptation and disease pathogenesis remain incompletely understood. We employ cross-species comparative approaches to elucidate these mechanisms in tuberculosis, framing our investigation within a One Health paradigm.

Chair: Lukas Voigt, B. A., Henriette Möller, M. A.