Tuberculosis (TB) persists as a significant global health burden, despite substantial advances in diagnostic methodologies and therapeutic regimens.[1] The disease’s epidemiological resilience is driven by a combination of biological, clinical, and socio-environmental determinants. Latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection remains widespread, serving as a continuous reservoir for active disease, particularly among individuals with compromised immune function. Moreover, the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) presents a critical challenge to existing treatment frameworks and poses a threat to global TB control strategies[2] Transmission occurs primarily via aerosolized droplets, with clinical manifestations typically including chronic cough, fever, weight loss, and night sweats. Effective TB control mandates integrated approaches encompassing early and accurate detection, strict adherence to prolonged pharmacological therapy, sustained vaccination programs, and targeted interventions addressing structural determinants such as poverty, overcrowding, and limited healthcare access. Strengthening health systems and enhancing population-level awareness are essential to mitigating transmission dynamics and reducing TB-associated morbidity and mortality.[4]

Tuberculosis, mycobacterium tuberculosis, public health, latent infection,multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB).

Getahun, H., Granich, R., Sculier, D., Gunneberg, C., Blanc, L., Nunn, P., … & Raviglione, M. (2011). HIV infection–associated tuberculosis: Clinical challenges. In Journal of Infectious Diseases (Vol. 204, Supplement_4, pp. S765–S770). (Note: this is an extension of the review on HIV‐TB synergy.) — You can use this for more detailed points on coinfection.

Getahun, H., Gunneberg, C., Granich, R., & Nunn, P. (2010). HIV infection–associated tuberculosis: The epidemiology and the response. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 50(suppl_3), S201–S207. https://doi.org/10.1086/651492

Hou, G., Yu, Y., Hu, Z., Song, Y., Zhang, S., Wang, W., … & Xu, L. (2019). The global prevalence of latent tuberculosis: A systematic review and metaanalysis. European Respiratory Journal, 54(3). https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.009112019

Houben, R. M. G. J., & Dodd, P. J. (2016). The global burden of latent tuberculosis infection: A reestimation using mathematical modelling. PLoS Medicine, 13(10), e1002152. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002152

MDPI. (2022). Madeddu, G., Palmieri, F., & Cappello, E. “HIV/Mtb CoInfection: From the Amplification of Disease Pathogenesis to an 'Emerging Syndemic'.” Microorganisms, 11(4), 853. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11040853

MDPI. (2024). “Coinfections in Tuberculosis in Low- and MiddleIncome Countries: Epidemiology, Clinical Implications, Diagnostic Challenges, and Management Strategies—A Narrative Review.” Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(7), 2154. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14072154

World Health Organization. (2015). Guidelines on the management of latent tuberculosis infection. WHO. ISBN: 978-92-4-154890-8.

World Health Organization. (2018). Latent TB Infection: Updated and consolidated guidelines for programmatic management. WHO. ISBN: 978-92-4-155023-9.

World Health Organization. (2022). Global Tuberculosis Report 2022. WHO. (This contains global incidence data, especially for low- and middle-income countries.)

World Health Organization. (2025). Global Tuberculosis Report 2025 – TB disease burden. (Provides recent data on TB incidence, HIV co-infection, etc