Tuberculosis
10 Active OutbreaksTuberculosis (TB) is a contagious bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs but can spread to other organs. It remains one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases, second only to COVID-19 in recent years.
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What is Tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In 2022, 10.6 million people fell ill with TB, and 1.3 million died from the disease. One-quarter of the world's population is estimated to be infected with TB bacteria, though most have latent TB (not sick or contagious). TB is curable and preventable, yet it continues to claim lives, particularly in low and middle-income countries.
Symptoms
- Persistent cough lasting 3+ weeks
- Coughing up blood or mucus
- Chest pain when breathing or coughing
- Unintentional weight loss
- Fatigue and weakness
- Fever and night sweats
- Chills and loss of appetite
Transmission
TB spreads through airborne particles when a person with active pulmonary TB coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. Prolonged, close contact with an infected person increases transmission risk. TB is not spread by touching, sharing food, or brief contact. Poor ventilation increases transmission risk.
Contagious Period: People with active pulmonary TB can be contagious until treated for 2-3 weeks; latent TB is not contagious
Prevention
- Early diagnosis and treatment of active TB cases
- Treatment of latent TB infection to prevent progression
- BCG vaccination in high-burden countries (protects children)
- Good ventilation in indoor spaces
- Respiratory hygiene (covering mouth when coughing)
- Isolation of infectious TB patients until no longer contagious
- Regular screening for high-risk populations
- UV light or air filtration in healthcare settings
Active Outbreaks & Recent Cases
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The ghost of tuberculosis past - Nature Medicine
You have full access to this article via Jozef Stefan Institute.
Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, yet the deaths that underlie this statistic focus solely on those related to the acute disease episode. An emerging body of evidence now recognizes TB as a chronic condition, with consequences extending well beyond treatment completion. This research has primarily examined the long-term disability caused by TB. Physical, psychological and economic seque
Tuberculosis Clusters Found in Singapore's Bedok Central
This event envelope contains reports on tuberculosis in Singapore.
Source: BEACON - View Full Report
Emergency response in jeopardy: The ambulance crisis in South Africa's rural areas
The Rural Health Advocacy Project (RHAP) has revealed that the shortage of ambulances in rural regions compromises patient care. Limited ambulance availability, coupled with vehicles being busy elsewhere, compromises patient care in rural areas. This is according to the Rural Health Advocacy Project (RHAP) in its latest policy brief on Tuberculosis (TB) in rural areas. The report revealed that while patients in rural areas face significant barriers to reaching clinics due to poor road conditions, the problem is worsened by the scarcity of suitable ambulances. In the Eastern Cape, there has been a shortage of 32% of ambulances, while other provinces, such as the North West, face an even greater shortage of 85%. The advocacy organisation stated that while the national standard for ambulance ...
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Cattle in England to get tuberculosis vaccine from 2030 as badger cull to end
Targeted vaccination and improved testing planned as part of drive to eradicate disease by 2038
Cattle will be vaccinated against tuberculosis from 2030 as a "gamechanging" part of a new strategy to drive eradication of the disease in England by 2038. In parallel, the last badger culls are expected to end by 2029, with vaccination of badgers expanded.
More than 20,000 infected cattle are slaughtered each year, costing taxpayers £100m and inflicting a heavy toll on affected farmers' livelihoods
No change in TB treatment regimen, social media claims misleading: Centre
Nagpur: The Central TB Division under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a clarification dismissing widely circulated claims on social media about a change in the treatment regimen for drug-susceptible tuberculosis (DS-TB).According to the statement, messages suggesting that the standard DS-TB regimen has been revised to a 4HPMZ protocol (2HPMZ/2HPM) are incorrect and not in line with the current guidelines of the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP).HPMZ refers to a four-dr
📰 12 news sources reporting on this story.
Jharkhand will be TB-free by 2029: Health min | Ranchi News
Ranchi: Health minister Irfan Ansari announced that Jharkhand govt has set a target of eliminating tuberculosis (TB) by 2029 and is working on a war footing to achieve the milestone.Ansari made the announcement while attending the two-day National Task Force meeting under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) here on Thursday."TB elimination should not remain just a govt programme but must become a mass movement. Unless every section of society participates, it will not be possib
📰 11 news sources reporting on this story.
San Francisco High School Sees Tuberculosis Outbreak
This event envelope collects reports on tuberculosis clusters and outbreaks in the United States.
Source: BEACON - View Full Report
Bedok TB clusters: Support for hawkers & merchants
SINGAPORE - Businesses in Bedok Central affected by reduced footfall following the recent announcement of tuberculosis (TB) clusters will pay only half of their rent as well as service and conservancy charges in May.
The mandatory screening at Bedok Central, which began on May 4, will also be extended to May 8 to allow more people to register for it.
The first day of screening at the community hub appeared to be smooth in the morning, with about 30 people at 11am.
Freelance photographer Edwin
📰 11 news sources reporting on this story.
Delhi notifies 12,078 TB cases in detection drive
The Delhi health department has detected 12,078 cases of tuberculosis (TB) in the Capital during a screening drive between March 24 to May 5, according to data shared by the department pertaining to the Delhi National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP). The drive is ongoing, officials clarified.
Of the total notified cases, 1,323 (11%) are paediatric patients, and the rest 10,755 (89%) are adults, the data shows. In terms of gender distribution, 6,360 cases (52.6%) are male, 5,715 (47.3%) female, a
📰 14 news sources reporting on this story.
Tuberculosis, Switzerland
This event envelope contains reports on tuberculosis in Switzerland.
Source: BEACON - View Full Report
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Disease information on Virus Watcher is reviewed by our Chief Epidemiologist, a former CDC lead analyst for FluSight forecasting. Outbreak data is aggregated from verified sources including BEACON, ProMED, WHO, CDC, and 50+ national health agencies. This information is for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical advice.
Last reviewed: 2026-06-19
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