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The Mysterious Resurgence of Tuberculosis, the ‘Robber of Youth’
Treatments for this ancient disease are toxic, yet left untreated the source itself is worse
By , Professor of Microbiology, Colorado State University; and , Associate Professor of Microbiology & Immunology, Colorado State University
An outbreak of tuberculosis, or TB — a lung disease that is often accompanied by a hacking cough — began in January 2024 in Kansas City, Kansas, and two nearby counties and . To date, 147 people have been reportedly diagnosed with TB in the outbreak, with 67 becoming ill. The remaining 80 people diagnosed with TB in Kansas contracted the illness but showed no symptoms, which is called a latent infection.
TB is the leading infectious cause of death around the world, outpaced only by .
The Conversation asked microbiologists and , both from Colorado State University, to explain why this ancient disease seems to be making a comeback.
What’s the history of TB?
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the organism that causes the disease in humans. The disease…
