Around nine million people worldwide develop tuberculosis each year, and approximately two million die from the disease, most of them in developing countries.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease that can be fatal.
The infection is most commonly caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which primarily affects the lungs but can also affect the central nervous system, lymphatic system, circulatory system, urogenital system, bones and joints.
Treatment lasts between 6 and 12 months and involves a combination of three or four medicines that complement one another.
Tuberculosis is one of the three deadliest infectious diseases worldwide. It ranks second after AIDS and ahead of malaria.
In response to the global threat of a tuberculosis epidemic, Slovenia tightened its monitoring of tuberculosis patients in 1996. This resulted in a decline in the number of tuberculosis cases.
In 2003, there were 8 cases of tuberculosis per 100,000 inhabitants. This placed Slovenia among the Eastern European countries with very low tuberculosis incidence.
24 MARCH IS WORLD TUBERCULOSIS DAY.