Predicting the effects of coinfection on TB dynamics, pathology and treatment

Most animals, including humans in the developing world, are simultaneously infected by multiple pathogen species,
termed coinfection. Coinfecting pathogens often interact with one another and this can affect: i) the number of pathogens
within a host, ii) pathogen transmission between hosts, iii) disease severity and iv) the effectiveness of pathogen control
measures (e.g. vaccines). Despite their importance, we know little about the consequences of the vast majority of
coinfections, as there are so many possible pathogen combinations that could occur in any given host. Our research team
has developed a way to deal with this complexity, creating a theoretical framework by which the consequences of a wide
range of coinfections might be predicted [1,2]. We have already tested this framework in one scenario but for the
framework to be useful in a practical context we need to develop it further and test it for a range of pathogen
coinfections.