Tuberculosis: Not a Disease of the Past

Did you know about 10 million people a year develop an active infection of tuberculosis? Although cases in the United States are rare, tuberculosis continues to be prevalent in other areas of the world. And since there isn’t an effective, long-term vaccine, cases can be fatal. In fact, before COVID-19, tuberculosis was the leading infectious disease killer in the world.  This week’s guest expert is Dr. Natasha Rybak, the director of the RISE Clinic for Tuberculosis in Rhode Island. She describes how tuberculosis spreads, how it’s treated, and who’s most at risk. She also talks about her work with the Brown University Ukraine Collaboration, which works with Ukrainian health providers to address the challenges of the HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis epidemics for children, women, and their family members in Ukraine. How has the war impacted tuberculosis research in Ukraine? Download this week’s episode to find out.