On World TB Day, new research from the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) is shedding light on why tuberculosis (TB) Remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases in the world, and a growing concern in Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan has some of the highest rates of tuberculosis in the country and scientists at labs on the University of Saskatchewan campus are working on the front lines of TB research. The disease, caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis, infects more than 10 million people globally each year and continues to claim over a million lives annually, making it the leading deadly infectious disease worldwide. “It’s a very complicated and ancient disease, and it remains the leading killer among infectious diseases,” Dr. Neeraj Dhar, a principal VIDO scientist told CTV News. Despite being preventable and treatable, TB is notoriously difficult to eliminate. The bacteria can lie dormant in the body for years, and treatment requires a lengthy course of multiple antibiotics — often lasting six months or more. When patients are unable to complete treatment, the risk of drug-resistant TB increases significantly. Researchers at VIDO are now working to change that. “If tomorrow we have a new antibiotic which can shorten the treatment, it would not only make it more effective, but also help patients complete it,” Dhar said. The issue is not just global, it’s local. Saskatchewan continues to see disproportionately high rates of TB, with more than 100 active cases at any given time. “Even in Canada, there are certain parts of the country, especially in northern and Indigenous communities, where TB is still very problematic,” Jeffrey Chen, a principal research scientist at VIDO said. Experts say factors such as housing conditions and poverty contribute to the spread of the disease. But TB doesn’t only affect humans. “It also affects livestock and animals, and they can transmit the disease back to people,” Chen explained. That’s why researchers are also developing a new vaccine aimed at bovine TB, an effort that could help stop the disease before it spreads between animals and humans. Scientists say this “One Health” approach, recognizing the connection between human and animal health, is key to controlling TB in the long term. With new treatments and vaccines on the horizon, researchers believe progress is possible. But for now, tuberculosis remains both a global crisis and a persistent local challenge.
