Tuberculosis (TB) news, resources and funding for global health researchers
A major cause of death and disability worldwide, tuberculosis is a contagious lung disease that spreads through the air when people infected with it cough, sneeze, talk or spit. TB is caused by a bacterium called
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which usually attacks the lungs, but can affect other parts of the body like the kidney, spine and brain. The disease can be fatal if not treated properly.
According to the World Health Organization, there are almost 2 million TB-related deaths each year, and more than 9 million people around the world become sick with the disease annually. In 2009, almost 10 million children were orphaned as a result of parental deaths caused by TB. The spread of multidrug-resistant TB is a growing global threat, with hundreds of thousands of new cases emerging each year.
TB coinfection with HIV/AIDS is also a serious health issue and a leading cause of death worldwide among people with HIV. Several NIH research and research training programs are helping to reduce the impact of tuberculosis both in the U.S. and overseas.
Grant Awards Related to TB
Recent News
- Tuberculosis Preventive Treatment Update — U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, 36 Countries, 2016–2023
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), March 21, 2024 -
Performance of a stool-based quantitative PCR assay for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in adolescents and adults: a multinational, prospective diagnostic accuracy study, co-authored by Fogarty International Research Scientist Alexander Kay
The Lancet Microbe, March 7, 2024 -
Findings in Tuberculosis Immunity Point Toward New Approaches to Treatment and Prevention
NIH Director’s blog, February 1, 2024 -
TBscreen: A passive cough classifier for tuberculosis screening with a controlled dataset, co-authored by Fogarty grant recipients Videlis Nduba and Thomas Hawn
Science Advances, January 3, 2024 -
Defining the usefulness of oral swabs in tuberculosis diagnosis, co-authored by Fogarty Emerging Global Leader Marieke M. van Der Zalm
The Lancet Global Health, January 1, 2024
NIH News and Resources
Other US Government Resources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID):Tuberculosis
Other Online Resources
Updated April 1, 2024