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TB mortality rate has dropped by 42% since the year 2000.
Despite the high numbers, cases of TB around the world have been decreasing since 2015.
TB is one of the top causes of death worldwide. In 2022 alone it killed 1.3 million people.
One of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is to end the TB epidemic by 2030.
Sources: (WHO) (Mayo Clinic) (CDC)
See also: Disease X: The next pandemic?
India is on top, followed by Indonesia, China, the Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and South Africa.
The vaccine is not compulsory in every country, though it is usually administered to people in high-risk nations.
In 2022, 5.8 million men were infected with the disease, but 3.5 million women were also infected. And so were 1.3 million children.
The majority of cases are focused in three countries: India, China, and Russia.
TB is treated with specific antibiotics. The inappropriate use of anti-TB medicines, however, have led to drug-resistant TB strains.
One hundred years on, the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine helped save millions of lives over the years.
The bacteria that causes multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) does not respond to commonly used drugs to treat TB, such as isoniazid and rifampicin. Though some second-line anti-TB drugs can be effective.
In 2019, there were over 206,000 people with drug-resistant TB. Considering the overall number of people with TB, those who contracted MDR-TB are still a minority.
It took 13 years of research before French bacteriologists Albert Calmette and Camille Guérin created the vaccine against tuberculosis in 1921.
In 2022, 46% of new cases of TB occurred in the Southeast Asia region, followed by Africa with 23% of new cases, and lastly the Western Pacific region, with 18%.
In 2022, 2.2 million new TB cases were linked to undernutrition alone.
Those with HIV are 18 times more likely to develop TB due to their weakened immune system. In 2022, about 167,000 people with HIV died of TB.
People who live or work in high-risk areas must be extra careful. These include healthcare workers who deal with TB patients.
People with a weakened immune system are particularly vulnerable to the disease. Those who suffer from HIV, undernutrition, substance abuse, or are undergoing cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, are more at risk.
Other common symptoms include fever, chest pain, fatigue, night sweats, chills, loss of appetite, and weight loss.
It usually spreads via coughing, sneezing, or other contact with droplets.
While latent TB will cause no symptoms, an active TB disease usually causes heavy coughing (and might include coughing up blood).
TB spreads from person to person through the air, similar to COVID-19.
You can have a latent TB infection (LTBI), or active TB disease. The latter will make you sick and be fatal.
Tuberculosis is a bacterial disease that affects mostly the lungs. The name of the bacterium is Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb).
TB can also affect other areas outside your lungs, such as your kidneys, spine, or brain.
The cause of tuberculosis was discovered in 1882 by German physician and microbiologist Dr. Robert Koch.
Depending where the bacteria spreads, you can have different symptoms, including back pain or blood in your urine.
A person can be infected by the TB bacteria but not become sick. There are two types of TB-related conditions.
Tuberculosis (TB) is still killing hundreds of people every year. Despite having lost strength in many Western countries since the creation of the BCG vaccine in 1921, it still hasn't been eradicated. In other areas of the world, such as Southeast Asia or Africa, TB is still a top killer. The disease can be particularly dangerous when someone with a weakened immune system contracts it. This is particularly true for patients with HIV, who are at a much higher risk of dying.
Click through to know more about TB and its deadly consequences.
Tuberculosis: a preventable disease still killing millions
TB and its deadly consequences.
HEALTH Diseases
Tuberculosis (TB) is still killing hundreds of people every year. Despite having lost strength in many Western countries since the creation of the BCG vaccine in 1921, it still hasn't been eradicated. In other areas of the world, such as Southeast Asia or Africa, TB is still a top killer. The disease can be particularly dangerous when someone with a weakened immune system contracts it. This is particularly true for patients with HIV, who are at a much higher risk of dying.
Click through to know more about TB and its deadly consequences.