Abstract

Epidemiology, Risk factors and One Health Approach to Overcome Tuberculosis of Zoonotic Importance

Authors: Shaista Shafiq, Muhammad Abdullah Qureshi, Shanzay Jamil, Danish Ali, Hania Saleem, Zarnain Amjad, Sana Abdullah, Syed Hannan Ahmad, Arslan Muhammad Ali Khan, Mirza Muhammad Maroof Baig and Laraib Nazir

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.71081/cvj/2025.060

Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most important infectious diseases in the world that not only cause infection in people but also in animals. Tuberculosis is an important zoonotic disease with severe socioeconomic effects. Members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC), such as M. tuberculosis and M. bovis are the main etiological agents of this disease. Most affected regions include low-income areas like South-East Asia, Africa, and the Western Pacific, where the lack of access to healthcare, overcrowding, malnutrition, and poverty perpetuate the disease. HIV co-infection, diabetes, and malnutrition are the major risk factors of the host, whereas smoking, alcoholism, and being in close contact with infected people or animals are considered predisposing behavioral and occupational factors. The development of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) has made controlling the disease even more difficult. One Health approach, the combination of human, animal and environmental health, offers a holistic approach to TB control. Nevertheless, there are problems in its implementation because of poor intersectoral co-ordination, insufficient diagnostic capacity, funding, and the lack of policy integration, especially in resource-constrained environments. This review highlights the major risk factors, its epidemiological aspects, and one health approach for the prevention and control of zoonotic TB.

Keywords: Epidemiology; M. bovis; Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis; Tuberculosis; Zoonotic tuberculosis