The World’s Deadliest Infectious Disease Is About to Get Worse
Tuberculosis (TB), a near-perfect predator, has regained its status as the world’s deadliest infectious disease, with over 100 million deaths in the decades since the discovery of the cure. The microbe causes one in seven deaths and can lead to lung collapse, severe weight loss, and brain or spinal infections.
The US is now at risk of losing the progress made in combating TB due to the administration’s decision to cut foreign aid programs. This could make TB untreatable again, as antibiotics have been widely available since the 1950s. The most significant threat to TB treatment comes from the U.S.’s own actions, with reduced access to life-saving medicines posing a risk to people with TB worldwide.
The current crisis highlights the importance of global cooperation and access to healthcare. As the US reduces its commitment to foreign aid, it puts the world’s most vulnerable populations at greater risk of contracting and dying from this deadly disease.
Source: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2025/03/tuberculosis-death-usaid-trump/682062