Red transpirenaica de investigación y desarrollo de herramientas innovadoras para el control de la tuberculosis animal

Animal tuberculosis has a major socio-economic impact on the livestock sector (reduced productivity and genetic value and restriction of trade) and poses a public health risk as a zoonosis. After years of combating bovine TB, Andorra,
France and several POCTEFA regions in Spain are free of bovine TB. However, there are still affected regions, outbreaks continue to appear on both sides of the Pyrenees and the usefulness of health programmes, the reliability of diagnostic tests and the possibility of eradicating animal TB while wild and domestic reservoirs are still infected.This project aims to consolidate and extend the cross-border multidisciplinary R+D+i network INNOTUB with the objective of joining forces and creating synergies between important actors in the trans-Pyrenean region with expertise in the problem in order to generate greater knowledge and develop innovative tools that provide solutions.INNOTUB II aims to characterise the contact risks (in domestic and wild species and between them) and the genotypes of the circulating M. tuberculosis complex, in order to optimise farm biosecurity and prevent the transmission and maintenance of infection, control animal tuberculosis with new vaccines and validate new diagnostic tools.The results that this project aims to achieve are an optimised management of animal TB in the region based on the epidemiological information generated, validated diagnostic methods and an evaluation of innovative vaccines. Livestock farmers, hunters, veterinarians and authorities
in the region involved in surveillance and control programmes, and more generally, the economy of these rural areas, will benefit from these results.The need to move towards unification in the management of this disease means that the issue is approached from a cross-border perspective through the cooperation of entities on both sides of the Pyrenees.