Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, or TB, is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs. It is transmitted from person to person via droplets from the throat and lungs of people with the active respiratory disease.
In healthy people, infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis often causes no symptoms, since the person's immune system acts to “wall off” the bacteria. The symptoms of active TB of the lung are coughing, sometimes with sputum or blood, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats. Tuberculosis is treatable with a six-month course of antibiotics.
TDR related research
TDR supports research on this disease. Our work is being conducted in the following areas:
Latest news
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Increased support for the development of needed TB diagnostic tests
FIND and WHO/TDR agree to expand access to TB specimens
20 March 2013 -
TB research roadmap launched
Priorities for the next 5-15 years
1 November 2011 -
The new WHO policy on TB diagnostics
Providing the evidence for its development
5 August 2011
TDR publications and articles
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TDR Performance assessment framework
Measuring results
10 August 2011 -
Changing Mindsets: Research Capacity strengthening in low and middle-income countries
1 November 2010 -
TDR annual report - 2009
Innovation for health - research that makes a difference
1 June 2010 -
Evidence for treatment policy for HIV-infected tuberculosis patients - 2009 annual report
An outline of progress made in TDR’s ‘Evidence for treatment policy for HIV-infected tuberculosis patients’ research function during 2009
1 May 2010
Related WHO information
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Fact sheet: Tuberculosis
pdf, 684kb -
Childhood tuberculosis
pdf, 897kb - Multidrug and extensively drug-resistant TB (M/XDR-TB): 2010 global report on surveillance and response
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The Stop TB Strategy
Six-point WHO strategy building on the successes of DOTS - Stop TB Partnership
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Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB)
News update and FAQs -
Tuberculosis and HIV
FAQs, news, publications -
International travel and health
Publication on travel risks, precautions and vaccination requirements