Tuberculosis
10 Active OutbreaksTuberculosis (TB) is a contagious bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs but can spread to other organs. It remains one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases, second only to COVID-19 in recent years.
What is Tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In 2022, 10.6 million people fell ill with TB, and 1.3 million died from the disease. One-quarter of the world's population is estimated to be infected with TB bacteria, though most have latent TB (not sick or contagious). TB is curable and preventable, yet it continues to claim lives, particularly in low and middle-income countries.
Symptoms
- Persistent cough lasting 3+ weeks
- Coughing up blood or mucus
- Chest pain when breathing or coughing
- Unintentional weight loss
- Fatigue and weakness
- Fever and night sweats
- Chills and loss of appetite
Transmission
TB spreads through airborne particles when a person with active pulmonary TB coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. Prolonged, close contact with an infected person increases transmission risk. TB is not spread by touching, sharing food, or brief contact. Poor ventilation increases transmission risk.
Contagious Period: People with active pulmonary TB can be contagious until treated for 2-3 weeks; latent TB is not contagious
Prevention
- Early diagnosis and treatment of active TB cases
- Treatment of latent TB infection to prevent progression
- BCG vaccination in high-burden countries (protects children)
- Good ventilation in indoor spaces
- Respiratory hygiene (covering mouth when coughing)
- Isolation of infectious TB patients until no longer contagious
- Regular screening for high-risk populations
- UV light or air filtration in healthcare settings
Live Tuberculosis Global Case Map
5 countries with reported activity. Updated from real-time surveillance data.
United States — State Detail
1 state with reported activity. Click a state for detailed surveillance.
Active Outbreaks & Recent Cases
Real-time intelligence from global health monitoring and AI-powered surveillance
Data sources: BEACON, ProMED, WHO, CDC, and 50+ national health agencies
✓ Live data updated in real-time from global health sources
New tool can predict TB death risk at diagnosis, says study
New Delhi: A simple calculator developed by Indian researchers can predict which tuberculosis (TB) patients are at the highest risk of death at the time of diagnosis itself, according to a study published in BMJ Open. Researchers say the tool could help identify high-risk patients early and support efforts to reduce TB deaths.The tool, developed by researchers from the ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai, and the Tamil Nadu TB programme, uses basic clinical measurements routine
📰 13 news sources reporting on this story.
Five questions may be all it takes to identify TB patients who need urgent care
A simple five-question tool that requires no laboratory tests can help health workers quickly identify tuberculosis (TB) patients who are most likely to become severely ill and need urgent hospital care, according to a study published recently in BMJ Open.
Researchers found that the bedside assessment performed as well as the more elaborate triage information routinely collected under the national TB programme in preventing deaths. Its accuracy improved further when combined with basic patient d
📰 11 news sources reporting on this story.
Tuberculosis, India
India bears about 25% of the global TB burden, with ~2.8 million new cases annually despite a 21% incidence decline from 2015–2024, outpacing the global 12% drop, aided by Ni-kshay and TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (key pillars of India’s national initiative to eliminate) though challenges persist from MDR-TB, HIV co-infection, and regional hotspots like Mizoram's 145 deaths in 2025.
Source: BEACON - View Full Report
Cattle in England to get tuberculosis vaccine from 2030 as badger cull to end
Targeted vaccination and improved testing planned as part of drive to eradicate disease by 2038
Cattle will be vaccinated against tuberculosis from 2030 as a "gamechanging" part of a new strategy to drive eradication of the disease in England by 2038. In parallel, the last badger culls are expected to end by 2029, with vaccination of badgers expanded.
More than 20,000 infected cattle are slaughtered each year, costing taxpayers £100m and inflicting a heavy toll on affected farmers' livelihoods
One in three TB cases found in Northeast screening had no symptoms
NEW DELHI: A sweeping tuberculosis screening effort across the Northeast has uncovered a troubling reality: more than one-third of the TB cases detected among vulnerable populations showed no symptoms at all. The finding highlights the challenge of identifying "silent" infections that often go unnoticed until they are picked up through active screening.Health Ministry's Annual Report 2025-26 shows that, during January-October 2025, 14,356 of the 41,727 TB cases detected among vulnerable populatio
📰 17 news sources reporting on this story.
Jharkhand will be TB-free by 2029: Health min | Ranchi News
Ranchi: Health minister Irfan Ansari announced that Jharkhand govt has set a target of eliminating tuberculosis (TB) by 2029 and is working on a war footing to achieve the milestone.Ansari made the announcement while attending the two-day National Task Force meeting under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) here on Thursday."TB elimination should not remain just a govt programme but must become a mass movement. Unless every section of society participates, it will not be possib
📰 11 news sources reporting on this story.
San Francisco High School Sees Tuberculosis Outbreak
This event envelope collects reports on tuberculosis clusters and outbreaks in the United States.
Source: BEACON - View Full Report
Delhi notifies 12,078 TB cases in detection drive
The Delhi health department has detected 12,078 cases of tuberculosis (TB) in the Capital during a screening drive between March 24 to May 5, according to data shared by the department pertaining to the Delhi National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP). The drive is ongoing, officials clarified.
Of the total notified cases, 1,323 (11%) are paediatric patients, and the rest 10,755 (89%) are adults, the data shows. In terms of gender distribution, 6,360 cases (52.6%) are male, 5,715 (47.3%) female, a
📰 14 news sources reporting on this story.
Bedok TB clusters: Support for hawkers & merchants
SINGAPORE - Businesses in Bedok Central affected by reduced footfall following the recent announcement of tuberculosis (TB) clusters will pay only half of their rent as well as service and conservancy charges in May.
The mandatory screening at Bedok Central, which began on May 4, will also be extended to May 8 to allow more people to register for it.
The first day of screening at the community hub appeared to be smooth in the morning, with about 30 people at 11am.
Freelance photographer Edwin
📰 11 news sources reporting on this story.
Tuberculosis, Switzerland
This event envelope contains reports on tuberculosis in Switzerland.
Source: BEACON - View Full Report
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View WHO Resources →Medically Reviewed Content
Disease information on Virus Watcher is reviewed by our Chief Epidemiologist, a former CDC lead analyst for FluSight forecasting. Outbreak data is aggregated from verified sources including BEACON, ProMED, WHO, CDC, and 50+ national health agencies. This information is for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical advice.
Last reviewed: 2026-06-29
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