World Tuberculosis Day

The chances of curing tuberculosis have increased

Tuberculosis bacteria usually migrate to the lungs.

(Bild: Dr_Microbe/stock.adobe.com)

In Austria, the number of cases is relatively stable despite migration, with 422 cases reported in 2023. Rapid diagnosis and efficient treatment are the most important weapons in the fight against this infectious disease, which is the most common fatal disease in the world but can in principle be cured. The development of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis poses a major threat.

Globally, tuberculosis is the second most common infectious disease after COVID-19 in terms of the number of deaths caused, putting it ahead of HIV and AIDS. In 2022, a total of 1.3 million people died from it. In the same year, around 10.6 million people fell ill worldwide, including 1.3 million children.

The situation with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is particularly worrying and continues to pose a serious threat. The Austrian Society of Pneumology (ÖGP) is therefore raising awareness on the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day on March 24.

Bacteria are transmitted through coughing and sneezing
The pathogens, the tuberculosis bacteria, are transmitted by droplets in the air we breathe (coughing, sneezing). The disease usually manifests itself in the lungs (pulmonary tuberculosis), but almost all organs can be affected (organ tuberculosis).

Austria is one of the low-incidence countries worldwide.

OA Dr. Michael Knappik, MPH, Facharzt für Innere Medizin, Infektiologie und Tropenmedizin, Klinik Penzing, Wien

Bild: privat

Whether the human body can fight off the TB infection or falls ill with it depends on factors such as nutritional status and immune status. However, tuberculosis bacteria can also encapsulate themselves in the body. They are then inactive and do not spread further, but can survive in this state for years. The carrier is symptom-free and is referred to as a latent TB infection. Around a third of the world's population is a carrier of this type of latent tuberculosis.

Only when the immune system is weakened can the disease be activated, often years later. One then speaks of an active TB infection.

The tuberculosis pathogen

Robert Koch presented his discovery of the tuberculosis pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, to the Physiological Society in Berlin on March 24, 1882. This day is traditionally celebrated as World Tuberculosis Day to draw attention to the significance of the discovery and also to remind people that the disease still claims around 4,000 lives worldwide every day despite major medical advances.

"Tuberculosis occurs in all countries and age groups. And: tuberculosis is in principle curable and preventable. Rapid diagnosis and effective treatment are important for successful tuberculosis control. Not only for the individual affected, but also so that the disease is neither transmitted further nor can resistance develop," explains OA Dr. Michael Knappik, MPH, deputy head of the ÖGP expert group "Infectiology and Tuberculosis".

Resistant tuberculosis bacteria are very difficult or, in the worst case, impossible to treat. This is referred to as multi-drug resistant tuberculosis or MDR (= multi-drug resistant).

A prolonged cough without sputum is a typical sign of the disease.

(Bild: kleberpicui/stock.adobe.com)

Take typical symptoms seriously
The classic symptoms are a prolonged cough without sputum production, night sweats, fatigue, fever and weight loss (hence the old name "consumption"). If you notice these symptoms, you should consult a lung specialist immediately, as they may indicate the presence of tuberculosis.

Current developments: Revolution in tuberculosis treatment
The World Health Organization (WHO) published new recommendations for the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis at the end of 2022. The introduction of a new drug has significantly improved treatment. The duration of treatment has been reduced from 18-24 months to just 6 months for most patients. At the same time, the success of the therapy has improved with an increase in the cure rate from previously only around 60% to 90%.

"These advances are groundbreaking and show that we are on the right path to effectively combating tuberculosis," says OA Dr. Knappik. The first patients in Austria were also successfully treated with this new treatment regimen in 2023.