Tuberculosis

Despite the availability of a cheap and effective treatment, tuberculosis still accounts for millions of cases of active disease and deaths worldwide. The disease disproportionately affects the poorest persons in both high-income and developing countries.1 However, recent advances in diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines and enhanced implementation of existing interventions have increased the prospects for improved clinical care and global tuberculosis control. Epidemiology In 2011, there were 8.7 million new cases of active tuberculosis worldwide (13% of which involved coinfection with the human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]) and 1.4 million deaths, including 430,000 deaths among HIV-infected patients1 representing a slight decrease from . . . Despite the availability of a cheap and effective treatment, tuberculosis still accounts for millions of cases of active disease and deaths worldwide. The disease disproportionately affects the poorest persons in both high-income and developing countries.1 However, recent advances in diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines and enhanced implementation of existing interventions have increased the prospects for improved clinical care and global tuberculosis control. Epidemiology In 2011, there were 8.7 million new cases of active tuberculosis worldwide (13% of which involved coinfection with the human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]) and 1.4 million deaths, including 430,000 deaths among HIV-infected patients1 representing a slight decrease from . . .