Stamps with the theme Anti Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, or TB, is a serious, sometimes contagious bacterial infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually by mycobacterium tuberculosis. This bacterium was discovered in 1882 by Robert Koch. By using several antibiotics simultaneously suitable in most cases today, tuberculosis is treatable. Around one third of the world’s population is believed to be infected by mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The bacteria, in recent years, has become more resistant to certain drugs. There are many possible reasons for the increase around the world for diagnosed cases of TB and the resistance to some treatments - among them being wrongly-prescribed or poor quality drugs or the inability of the diagnosed patient to take the medicine or to take the medicine as directed.