Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the world’s deadliest communicable diseases. Evidence of tubercular decay has been found in the spines of ancient Egyptian mummies that are thousands of years old. TB was also common in ancient Greece and Rome as well. While TB has been dramatically reduced because of the discovery of the mycobacterium that causes it and the development of vaccines and medications to treat it, TB has never really been eradicated. Today, TB remains one of the leading causes of infectious deaths throughout the world. Emerging drug-resistant strains of TB pose new challenges in the ever-evolving battle to control and prevent TB (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases [NIAID], 2017).
Tuberculosis is a disease caused by bacteria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which spreads from person to person through the air. This rod-shaped bacterium, also called Koch’s bacillus, was discovered by Robert Koch, MD, in 1882 (NIAID, 2017).
Mtb is a small, slow-growing bacterium that can only live in people. It is not found in other animals, insects, soil, or other nonliving things. It is an aerobic bacterium, so it needs oxygen to survive. This is why, during active TB disease, Mtb complexes are always found in the upper air sacs of the lungs (NIAID, 2017).
TB usually affects the lungs but it can spread to other parts of the body, including the brain, kidneys, and spine. In most cases, TB is treatable and curable but individuals can die with TB if they do not get the proper treatment (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016b).