The World Health Organization (WHO) states that TB is not a disease of the past; it remains a threat with serious consequences for modern society.

Despite scientific breakthroughs and the availability of a vaccine, TB remains one of the most persistent and deadly infectious diseases on the planet.

It is estimated that a quarter of the world’s population is infected with the TB bacillus, but they have not yet developed the disease and cannot transmit the infection.

This infectious illness affects the lungs by a bacterium (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that is transmitted from person to person through aerosol droplets that remain in the air after being expelled by people with active lung disease.

TB can be prevented with the Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine and cured with specific medication.

Figures published by the WHO state that about 85 percent of people who contract TB recover successfully with a four- to six-month course of treatment.

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