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
Top News
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NIH study examines how pregnancy affects drugs for HIV and TB in people living with HIV
NIAID Now blog, January 23, 2019 - Temperature-stable experimental tuberculosis vaccine enters clinical testing
NIAID/NIH news, January 23, 2019 -
NIH releases strategic plan to address tuberculosis research
NIAID/NIH news, September 26, 2018 -
NIH experts call for transformative research approach to end tuberculosis
NIAID/NIH news, March 9, 2018 -
The impact of a Fogarty International Center-supported tuberculosis research training program in the country of Georgia
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, February 5, 2018