Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection caused by a germ called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but they can also damage other parts of the body. TB spreads through the air when a person with TB of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes or talks. If you think you have been exposed, you should go to your doctor for tests as soon as possible. You are more likely to get TB if you have a weak immune system.

What is Tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis (TB) is a dreaded bacterial infection. It has been known to mankind since ancient ages. It was commonly called “consumption” at the turn of the last century because of the way the disease seemed to “consume” the individual it affected.

Tuberculosis Causes

Tuberculosis Diagnosis

Tuberculosis Prevention

Tuberculosis Screening

Tuberculosis Treatment

Tuberculosis Prognosis

History of Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis in Animals

Tuberculosis Transmission

New tuberculosis technologies: importance of access in the private health sector

Latest Tuberculosis News and Research

Ciheb awarded $4 million to support COVID-19 response activities

The Center for International Health, Education and Biosecurity at the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Institute of Human Virology was awarded $4 million from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response activities in Botswana, Nigeria, Malawi, and Mozambique.

2 Jun 2020

EKF secures COVID-19 novel sample collection kit manufacturing and supply contracts

EKF Diagnostics, the global in vitro diagnostics company, announces it has secured new contracts for the manufacture and supply of a novel, patented sample collection device which allows COVID-19 samples to be rapidly inactivated in the collection tube, avoiding contamination and preserving RNA without need for refrigeration.

From EKF Diagnostics 26 May 2020

SMART researchers awarded NMRC funding to develop rapid paper-based COVID-19 tests

Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, MIT's research enterprise in Singapore, has received a grant from the National Medical Research Council COVID-19 Research fund for the acceleration of research and development of rapid paper-based serological and diagnostic tests for COVID-19.

18 May 2020

Canadian Glycomics Network welcomes $16.3 million renewed funding from NCE

The Networks of Centres of Excellence recently announced its continued support in Canadian glycomics research with a three-year investment of $16.3 million through the Canadian Glycomics Network (GlycoNet).

15 May 2020

Study finds high variability in access to, and quality of, bone density scanning facilities worldwide

There is high variability in access to, and quality of, bone density scanning facilities worldwide, according to a landmark global study carried out at the Medical Research Council Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit in collaboration with the International Osteoporosis Foundation and the International Society for Clinical Densitometry.

15 May 2020

Two new devices could offer additional safety for health care workers during COVID-19

Treating patients with COVID-19 means health care workers are putting their own health and safety on the line each day.

14 May 2020

Scientists discover how the iron chelator drives immune system to deal with TB

Although COVID-19 commands the headlines today, tuberculosis (TB) remains the biggest infection killer in the world and multiple drug resistant TB, which does not respond to regular antibiotics, continues to be a major threat to global health.

13 May 2020

South Africa obtains first laboratory isolate of SARS-CoV-2

While much of the scientific and medical community rushes to develop therapeutic agents for COVID-19 based on clinical data, getting a better understanding of the brand-new virus remains crucial.

11 May 2020

Southwest CEO’s boast about airplanes’ low COVID risk flies by key concerns

During a May 3 appearance on "Face the Nation," Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said that he believed it was safe for Americans to fly during the coronavirus epidemic and that a plane is as safe as any other space.

11 May 2020

COVID-19 could accelerate activation of dormant tuberculosis (TB)

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has thrown much of the world into disarray, with over 4 million people reported infected and well over 282,000 deaths. A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in May 2020 suggests that the long-term impact of the virus could include activation of dormant bacterial infections like tuberculosis (TB).

10 May 2020

A $10 million grant enables expansion of BCG vaccine trial against COVID-19

An A$10 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will allow the Murdoch Children's Research Institute's clinical trial of the BCG vaccine against COVID-19 to extend to 10,000 healthcare workers across Australia, Spain and The Netherlands.

4 May 2020

South African COVID-19 lockdown may not avert outbreak

The study investigated the effect of the various interventions in South Africa on the outbreak, analyzing trends in South Africa before and after the national lockdown, which started on March 27, 2020. Africa has so far reported over 38,000 cases, a small number compared to the 3.25 million global cases as of April 30, 2020. South Africa has reported over 5,600, with Egypt and Morocco close behind.

30 Apr 2020

Universal childhood vaccination could prevent antimicrobial resistance

A new study from the University of California, Berkeley, published in the journal Nature in April 2020, reports that extending vaccination to all children could help resolve antimicrobial resistance - one of the biggest obstacles to effective healthcare in low-income countries. This is the first study to look at how vaccination is related to the use of antibiotics in low- and middle-income countries.

29 Apr 2020

India's Serum Institute gears up to make millions of doses of potential COVID-19 vaccine

The Serum Institute of India plans to start manufacturing Oxford University's COVID-19 vaccine in 3 weeks to get a head start on production, the company announced. This comes even as experts warn that any successful vaccine will take two or more years to come on the market.

28 Apr 2020

Wits University releases first clinical data on COVID-19 in South Africa

For example, do they resuscitate patients even though the prospects of recovery are slim and the risk to the healthcare team high? How should healthcare workers respond?

27 Apr 2020

Moving from document-based FP and STI guidelines to computerized clinical decision support

Regenstrief Institute has propelled the translation of existing human readable clinical guidelines into computerized clinical decision support for family planning and for sexually transmitted infections (STI).

25 Apr 2020

UM researchers awarded $2.5 million to develop COVID-19 vaccine candidate

Researchers in the Center for Translational Medicine at the University of Montana have been awarded $2.5 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health to identify and advance a COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

24 Apr 2020

Link between BCG and lower COVID-19 mortality disproved by new analysis

The association between BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) vaccination and its purported beneficial effect on COVID-19 transmission/mortality rates was challenged in an expert appraisal of Diamond Princess cruise ship data. At the same time, cross-national differences previously reported were shown to be flawed, reports a new medRxiv study.

23 Apr 2020

Researchers demonstrate how TB bacteria import vitamin B12 molecules to grow

Researchers from Russia, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the U.S. have revealed the structure of the protein responsible for vitamin B12 import into the cells of the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. The research findings were published in Nature.

23 Apr 2020

Pets have a low risk of transmitting multi-drug resistant bugs to owners, study finds

Zoonoses are diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans. About 75 percent of emerging infectious diseases are zoonoses, just like the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that’s caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Domesticated animals such as pets can carry parasites and other pathogens to people. However, a new study suggests that pets are not a significant source of transmission to humans.

21 Apr 2020