A contagious disease that is transmitted mainly by air, cases of tuberculosis increased last year in the world.
Tuberculosis killed 1.6 million people last year
It had been in decline for about twenty years but it is making a comeback which worries the health authorities. Infectious disease caused by a mycobacterium, tuberculosis particularly strikes the lungs but it can also affect other organs. The Institut Pasteur recalls that it is one of the 10 leading causes of death in the world. In 2020, 4,606 cases of tuberculosis were declared in France.
One of the top 10 causes of death worldwide
The World Health Organization gives this figure: tuberculosis killed 1.6 million people worldwide in 2021. The director of the WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Programme, Dr Tereza Kasaeva, adds: “Unfortunately, we saw last year for the first time in more than two decades an increase in the number of people who develop the disease as well as its drug-resistant form.e”.
Philippines, Indonesia, India and Burma
In 2021 around the world, about 10.6 million people have developed the disease. Four countries are more affected than others: The Philippines, Indonesia, India and Burma. The incidence rate of the disease increased by 3.6% between 2020 and 2021.
The main marker is a prolonged cough
Both adults and children can be affected by tuberculosis, the symptoms of which are most often fever, night sweats and weight loss, but the main marker is a prolonged cough. Badly treated, this disease can lead to death.