The Current Knowledge of Tuberculosis in Pinnipeds

Infectious diseases and zoonoses, particularly, are in the spotlight after the 17 COVID-19 pandemic. Under this scenario, the One Health approach becomes of fundamental relevance to understanding, analyzing, interpreting, and, ideally, preventing future scenarios of the spread of infectious agents. It is estimated that about 60% of human infectious diseases are caused by zoonotic agents. A clear example is zoonotic tuberculosis caused by pathogenic mycobacteria grouped within the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). MTBC affects humans, livestock, and wildlife, and according to the World Health Organization, tuberculosis is one of the diseases with the most significant increase in the number of cases worldwide. The present study reviews current knowledge on tuberculosis in pinniped populations. Mycobacterium pinnipedii, a member of the MTBC, has been reported in different pinniped species.