General Public

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) has been present in the human population since antiquity - fragments of the spinal column from Egyptian mummies from 2400 BCE show definite pathological signs of tubercular decay.

In 1882, Dr. Robert Koch discovered a staining technique that enabled him to see Mycobacterium tuberculosis. What excited the world was not so much the scientific brilliance of Koch's discovery, but the accompanying certainty that now the fight against humanity's deadliest enemy could really begin. The measures available to doctors were still modest. Improving social and sanitary conditions, and ensuring adequate nutrition were all that could be done to strengthen the body's defenses against the TB bacillus. Thousands of sanatoria (TB hospitals) were established throughout Europe and the United States. These sanatoria provided a dual function: they isolated the sick, the source of infection, from the general population, while the enforced rest, together with a proper diet and the well-regulated hospital life assisted the healing processes.

In 1943 streptomycin, the first drug effective against TB, was developed. On November 20, 1944, the antibiotic was administered for the first time to a critically ill TB patient. The effect was almost immediately impressive.

His advanced disease was visibly arrested, the bacteria disappeared from his sputum, and he made a rapid recovery. The new drug had side effects - especially on the inner ear - but the fact remained, TB could be treated.

In the late 19th century, TB killed one out of every seven people living in the United States and Europe. Today, TB continues to remain a threat to the health and well being of people around the world. Among infectious diseases, TB remains the second leading killer of adults in the world, with more than 2 million TB-related deaths each year. The global incidence rate of TB is growing at approximately 0.4% per year, but much faster in sub-Saharan Africa and in countries of the former Soviet Union.