Tuberculosis

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are well-adapted to long-term survival and persistence in the environment, and are prevalent in niches such as soil and water in sub-Saharan Africa.

NTM can cause disease in humans, and rates of associated illness and death are increasing rapidly. Climate change is affecting global temperatures, precipitation patterns and UV exposure, but the implications for environmental reservoirs of mycobacteria is unclear.

Dr Begna Tulu Eticha and Dr Rachel Tanner from Bahir Dar University and the University of Oxford aim to investigate the effects of climate change on the survival, growth, virulence, and sequence of NTM, Mycobacteria tuberculosis (M. tb), and Mycobacteria bovis (M. bovis) strains from Ethiopia.

Their second objective is to look at effects on the host immune response to these mycobacterial strains cultured under different environmental conditions and to determine whether protection afforded by the BCG vaccine is affected.

Investigating the possible consequences of climate change on mycobacteria in the environment, and the host's ability to control them, will be essential for informing control measures such as improved vaccinations and therapies that can be effective in a changing world.