1, How Old Is It?

Tuberculosis , the world wasn’t familiar with it until on March 24, 1882, Dr. Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that cause tuberculosis (TB). During this time, TB killed one out of every seven people living in the United States and Europe.

2, A Huge Round Of Applause For

French bacteriologists Albert Calmette and Camille Guérin created the first tuberculosis vaccine in 1921 using a live strain of the bacteria. In their honor, the vaccine was christened the bacille Calmette-Guerin or BCG. The vaccine first came to be widely used in Europe and South America in 1930.

3, Killer Behind the veil

Tuberculosis has been an indiscriminate killer claiming some of the best and the brightest through the course of human history. Notable casualties include literary giants, royalty, music composers and philosophers like Emily Bronte, George Orwell, John Keats, Frederic Chopin, Igor Stravinsky, Franz Kafka, Voltaire, Henry VII of England, Louis XVII of France, Eleanor Roosevelt and Muhammed Ali Jinnah.

 4, You breathe it in

Tuberculosis spreads through the air from an infected person to a non-infected person. Whenever someone with this disease coughs, sneezes, or even sings, they are putting potentially millions of bacteria into the air. Others will then breathe in these bacteria and potentially develop an active infection.

5, TB Stays Dormant

Many people who have become infected with tuberculosis don’t even realize that they have an active infection. It is common for people to not experience any sickness or even any symptoms as their bodies work on fighting off the disease. The body’s natural disease fighting agents, combined with successful medical treatments, have helped to eliminate TB infections in an estimated 51 million people since 1995.

 6, It’s Fine To Kiss

Incredibly enough, you can’t actually spread tuberculosis by kissing. It isn’t a touch-based infection. You can even share a drink, someone’s food, or their toothbrush if you want and you won’t be able to pick up an infection. It is even possible to shake hands and not catch the disease, though if an infected person were coughing into their hand and you were to shake it and immediately put it into your mouth for some reason, it could be possible to start an active infection in that way.

7,  It’s Often a Disease of Poverty

A vast majority of the tuberculosis infections that occur today happen in the developing world. It most commonly strikes adults who are in the midst of their most productive years from a vocational sense. TB tends to take a hold in body systems that are malnourished and too poor to be able to access fresh water supplies or medical care. This is why the mortality rate is so high with these disease, even though a cure exists for it.

8,  It Is Growing

Because of the population growth in Africa, where TB is very common, the global tuberculosis infection rate continues to increase by a 1% annual rate. 2 billion people in the world today have the microbes that can cause TB, but only 10% of those with the microbes will develop an active infection. With regular treatments, tuberculosis doesn’t have to be a concern. That’s why medication needs to become readily available to the population centers that are most at-risk today.

9,  Body Defence V TB beacteria

Granulomas(when people are infected with TB bacteria, they develop the characteristic lung formations ) are formed after TB bacteria establish a foothold in the lung. As part of the immune system reaction to infection, various immune cell types gather around TB-infected cells and wall them off from uninfected tissue. This prevents the infection from spreading and becoming active TB disease. However, not all of the TB bacteria inside a granuloma die. Destroying these so-called persistent bacteria with standard TB drug regimens is very difficult and is one reason why treatment for TB can last for months.

10, When It becomes more deadly

Tuberculosis is itself among the 10 most deadliest diseases, but the chance of mortality doubles when the patient is suffering from HIV.Effective treatment for tuberculosis in HIV patient is still feasible, researchers have found that the additional treatment with cotrimoxazole (an antibiotic) can lower the death rate during treatment by as much as 40%.

11,  Just in 3 minutes

Tremendous efforts made by the World Health Organization, the WHO endorses a new test that diagnosis tuberculosis in 100 minutes instead of three months.

12,  Garlic The Healing Goddess

Garlic has anti bacterial property as it contains sulphur. This helps in destroying the bacteria causing TB. Garlic also contains allicin and ajoene which helps to inhibit the bacterial growth. Garlic improves the immunity of the body.  Cooked or raw garlic can be used as a remedy.