Tuberculosis resurges as top infectious disease killer 1 Nov 2024
New global report shows that while cases continue to rise in the Americas, improvements in diagnosis and treatment are helping to reduce deaths
1 November 2024 – The World Health Organization (WHO) published a new report on tuberculosis (TB) revealing that globally, approximately 8.2 million people were newly diagnosed with TB in 2023 - the highest number recorded since WHO began global TB monitoring in 1995. This represents a notable increase from 7.5 million reported in 2022 placing TB again as the leading infectious disease killer in 2023, surpassing COVID-19.
The WHO 2024 Global Tuberculosis Report highlights mixed progress in the global fight against TB, including persistent challenges such as significant underfunding.
In the Americas, while an estimated 342,000 people were diagnosed with TB in 2023, a 6.6% increase from the previous year, the number of people that died as a result of the disease has begun to decline, by 5.4% from 2022-2023
This reduction is due to an increase in the number of people diagnosed and treated – from 76% in 2022 to 78% in 2023.
The report shows that the disease disproportionately affects people in 30 high-burden countries, India (26%), Indonesia (10%), China (6.8%), the Philippines (6.8%) and Pakistan (6.3%) together accounted for 56% of global TB burden. In the Americas, eight countries account for 80% of TB cases in the Region while others, particularly in the Caribbean region, have reduced incidence to low levels and some are close to the threshold for disease elimination.
According to the report, 55% of people who developed TB were men, 33% were women and 12% were children and young adolescents....
See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#Epidemiology - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#Epidemiology or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#Epidemiology ;
Roughly one-quarter of the world's population has been infected with M. tuberculosis, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-WHO2018Fact-6 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-WHO2002-12 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-CDC-170 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-Book90-88 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-171 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-WHO2011-79 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-Loz2012-172 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-WHO2011Control-173 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-174 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-WHO2011-79 - Tuberculosis[ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-175 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-176 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-177 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-Korthals2012-178 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-Korthals2012-178 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-179 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-180 - Mycobacteria infect many different animals, including birds, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-255 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-256 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-257 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-258 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-259 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-260 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-261 - As of 2015, tuberculosis appears to be widespread among captive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant - elephants in the US. It is believed that the animals originally acquired the disease from humans, a process called https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_zoonosis - reverse zoonosis . Because the disease can spread through the air to infect both humans and other animals, it is a public health concern affecting https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circus - circuses and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoo - zoos . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-Holt-262 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis#cite_note-Mikota-263 -
2022 Nov 28;17(11):e0277807. doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277807 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0277807
Tuberculosis in individuals who recovered from COVID-19: A systematic review of case reports
Conclusion
Tuberculosis after recovering from COVID-19 is becoming more common, potentially leading to a TB outbreak in the post-COVID-19 era. The immunosuppressive nature of the disease and its treatment modalities may contribute to post COVID-19 TB. Thus, we recommend a further study with a large sample size. Furthermore, we recommend feasibility studies to assess and treat latent TB in COVID-19 patients residing in TB endemic counties since treatment of latent TB is done only in TB non-endemic countries.
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The emergence of COVID-19 overwhelmed tuberculosis (TB) prevention and control, resulting in a decrease in TB detection rate and an increase in TB deaths. Furthermore, the temporary immunosuppressive effects, lung inflammation, and the corticosteroids used to treat COVID-19, may play a direct role in immunosuppression, leading to reactivation of either previous infection or latent TB or the development of new TB. Thus, the aim of this study was to review TB incidence in individuals who recovered from COVID-19.
DJ, Immunity damage after CoViD may mean a lower infection-load still may bring more severe disease. In other words; post CoViD patients may get (severe) symptoms while others may not even develop any symptoms...the weak immune reaction giving the disease more room...