Tuberculosis: A Global Health Problem

Tuberculosis (TB) is an ancient disease that has affected mankind for more than 4,000 years (1). It is a chronic disease caused by the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis and spreads from person to person through air. TB usually affects the lungs but it can also affect other parts of the body, such as brain, intestines, kidneys, or the spine. Symptoms of TB depend on where in the body the TB bacteria are growing. In the cases of pulmonary TB, it may cause symptoms, such as chronic cough, pain in the chest, haemoptysis, weakness or fatigue, weight loss, fever, and night-sweats.TB remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries, including Bangladesh. With the discovery of chemotherapy in the 1940s…