Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium:

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the rod-shaped bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It was discovered by the German doctor Robert Koch, who announced his discovery on 24 March 1882. This date is observed every year as World TB Day. Koch received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1905.

TB mainly affects the lungs (pulmonary TB), but it can also affect other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, bones, kidneys, brain and spine (extrapulmonary TB). It spreads through the air, when a person with active lung TB coughs, sneezes or speaks, releasing tiny droplets containing the bacteria. Symptoms include a persistent cough lasting more than two weeks, sometimes with blood, chest pain, fever, night sweats, loss of appetite and weight loss. People with weak immunity, such as those with HIV, malnutrition or diabetes, are at greater risk.

Diagnosis is done through sputum tests, chest X-rays and rapid molecular tests such as CBNAAT (GeneXpert) and Truenat, which was developed in India. TB is curable with a course of several antibiotics, such as isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol, taken for at least six months. DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course) is the strategy used to ensure patients complete their treatment. Incomplete treatment can lead to drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB and XDR-TB).

The BCG vaccine (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin), developed by Albert Calmette and Camille Guérin in France in 1921, gives protection against severe forms of TB in children. In India, it is given at birth.

India has the highest burden of TB in the world. Under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP), India aims to eliminate TB by 2025, five years ahead of the global target of 2030 set by the Sustainable Development Goals. The Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana provides nutritional support to TB patients.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Vibrio cholerae causes cholera.
• ✗Salmonella typhi causes typhoid.
• ✗Clostridium tetani causes tetanus.