One Health Challenges in Fighting Intracellular Infections: Insights from a Workshop on Tuberculosis & Leishmaniasis

 Introduction

Infectious diseases like tuberculosis (TB) and leishmaniasis continue to pose major public health threats, particularly in regions with high poverty rates and limited healthcare access. These diseases share a critical characteristic—they are intracellular infections, meaning they survive and multiply inside host cells, making them difficult to treat.

A recent One Health-focused workshop brought together experts from various disciplines to discuss challenges, knowledge gaps, and strategies for controlling TB and leishmaniasis. This blog highlights the key takeaways from the discussions and how an integrated One Health approach can improve disease control efforts.

                                                                           


Understanding the One Health Approach

The One Health concept recognizes that human health, animal health, and environmental health are deeply interconnected. Many infectious diseases, including TB and leishmaniasis, affect both humans and animals and are influenced by environmental conditions.

🔹 Tuberculosis (TB): A bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, affecting the lungs and other organs. Animal TB, caused by Mycobacterium bovis, can also spread to humans.
🔹 Leishmaniasis: A parasitic disease transmitted by sandflies, affecting humans, dogs, and wildlife, and influenced by climate and environmental changes.

Key Challenges in Controlling Intracellular Infections

✅ Drug Resistance & Treatment Complexity – Standard treatments for TB and leishmaniasis are lengthy, toxic, and increasingly ineffective due to drug resistance.
✅ Zoonotic Transmission – Infections can spread between animals and humans, complicating disease control efforts.
✅ Limited Diagnostics – Many regions lack access to rapid and accurate diagnostic tools.
✅ Environmental & Social Factors – Poor sanitation, malnutrition, and climate change contribute to the spread of these infections.

Bridging Knowledge Gaps: Workshop Insights

🔸 Strengthening Surveillance: Improved monitoring of both human and animal cases can help track disease spread and prevent outbreaks.
🔸 New Drug Development: Researchers are working on host-directed therapies that enhance the immune system’s ability to fight intracellular infections.
🔸 Vector Control: Strategies such as sandfly control programs and improved housing conditions can reduce leishmaniasis transmission.
🔸 Cross-Sector Collaboration: Health professionals, veterinarians, and environmental scientists must work together to create integrated intervention strategies.

The Road Ahead: Strengthening One Health Strategies

💡 Multidisciplinary research – Encouraging collaboration between medical, veterinary, and environmental experts.
💡 Innovative therapies – Developing vaccines and alternative treatments targeting intracellular pathogens.
💡 Community engagement – Educating at-risk populations on prevention methods.

By addressing these One Health challenges, we can move toward more effective and sustainable control of TB and leishmaniasis, protecting both human and animal populations.

💬 What are your thoughts on the One Health approach? Share your insights!

31st Edition of International Research Conference on Science Health and Engineering | 25-26 April 2025 | Berlin, Germany

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