Worldwide, tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant cause of disease and deaths. Around 9.9 million people had the disease in 2020. The burden is higher in low- and middle-income countries. Africa accounts for 25% of TB cases.
TB is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Not everyone who gets infected with the bacterium will get sick. Once infected, a person has a 5%-15% lifetime risk of developing active TB disease. Risk factors that contribute to people’s susceptibility to getting ill with TB include HIV infection, diabetes mellitus, malnutrition, alcoholism and rheumatoid arthritis.
