Trans-Pyrenean research and development network of innovative tools to control animal tuberculosis.
- Date: 01/10/2019 – 01/06/2022
- Project Manager at NEIKER: Iker Agirregomoskorta
- Funding: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
- Total budget: 200,000 Euros
- Department: Animal Health Department
- Partners: CReSA, UAB, VACUNEK, ANSES, ENVT and NEIKER
The situation is currently optimal against bovine tuberculosis in France, where it has been declared tuberculosis free, whereas in the southern Pyrenean communities they are in the process of obtaining it. Nevertheless, the increase in tuberculosis cases among wild fauna, particularly boars, is jeopardising the current situation.
Moreover, a worrying problem for both farmers and the administration is the ever greater number of animals reacting to the ‘in vivo’ tuberculosis diagnostic tests, where it is impossible to confirm infection via microbiological techniques. In some cases, this is because infection has been detected at very early stages when it is still impossible to locate lesions or mycobacteria in the tissues studied, and in others due to the presence of mycobacteria, pathogenic or otherwise which interfere in tuberculosis diagnosis.
All this implies unnecessary slaughtering which has to be compensated, farms loss of genetic value and loss of productivity in milk and meat productions, which is why 1) improvement in specificity of ‘in vivo’ diagnostic techniques and 2) development of tools to detect the TB causal agent as well as differentiation with other mycobacteria causing the interference are sought.
Furthermore, studies will be carried out related to disease control via vaccination with specific incidence on the diagnostic differences between infected and vaccinated animals. Lastly, there are sociological factors related more and more to the success of disease control plans which will be assessed.
