[Imperial College London] Flu Infection May Leave People More Susceptible to TB Infection, Study Suggests

11 June 2026

Imperial College London news release

New research from Imperial College London suggests that infection with the influenza virus may leave people more susceptible to TB.

The findings suggest that seasonal flu vaccines could offer a potential new strategy for preventing and controlling TB in regions around the world with high prevalence where people are at high risk, such as India, Indonesia and South Africa.

Using blood samples from Imperial’s human challenge studies programme, where healthy volunteers are infected with influenza virus under controlled conditions, scientists showed that infection with influenza virus inhibits immune pathways which control the growth of the TB mycobacterium.

Read the full news release here.

Source: Imperial College London