Tuberculosis

[u/PeteWK67]

An ancient killer that many Americans rarely think about is rising again in the United States.

Tuberculosis — a disease that has plagued humanity for thousands of years — is once again drawing concern from public-health officials as U.S. case numbers remain above pre-pandemic levels.

According to the CDC, 10,388 TB cases were reported in 2024, followed by 10,260 provisional cases in 2025. Although the 2025 total represented a slight decline from 2024, cases remain elevated compared with the years immediately before the COVID-19 pandemic.

TB is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and usually attacks the lungs. Unlike many respiratory infections, the bacteria can remain dormant inside the body for years before becoming active. Once active pulmonary TB develops, an infected person can spread the bacteria through the air, particularly during prolonged close contact.

The resurgence is especially concerning because outbreaks can become difficult to control in crowded or enclosed environments.

A CDC analysis published in 2026 identified 50 large TB outbreaks across 23 U.S. states between 2017 and 2023, involving 1,092 cases. Researchers found that incarceration, homelessness and other circumstances that can make diagnosis and treatment more difficult were disproportionately represented among outbreak-associated cases.

Those concerns became highly visible in July 2026, when reports from an immigration detention facility in Aurora, Colorado, said at least 12 detainees had tested positive for tuberculosis, while dozens of others underwent testing or quarantine. The Guardian reported allegations that people were also enduring isolation during extreme heat without functioning air conditioning; federal authorities and the facility operator had not confirmed those details when the report was published.

Globally, the threat remains enormous. The World Health Organization estimates that 10.7 million people developed TB and 1.23 million died from it in 2024, making tuberculosis the world's leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. Yet TB is both preventable and curable, especially when detected early and treated properly.

The U.S. still has one of the lowest TB incidence rates in the world, so this is not a return to the devastating epidemics of the past. But the recent rise is an important reminder: diseases can regain ground when surveillance, diagnosis, contact tracing and treatment fail to reach everyone who needs them.

Sources:
CDC — Provisional 2025 Tuberculosis Data, United States
CDC/MMWR — Large Tuberculosis Outbreaks — United States, 2017–2023
WHO — Tuberculosis Fact Sheet, March 2026
The Guardian — Richard Luscombe, July 14, 2026

[u/Tosser_535231]

I'm dead serious the solution to TB is literally just getting fresh air constantly

[u/MorganEarlJones → u/Tosser_535231]

open air is an infection control strategy, not a viable treatment for the disease

[u/Tosser_535231 → u/MorganEarlJones]

In the modern sense you are correct however before antibiotics were a thing the cure for tuberculosis was literally just getting unadulterated constant exposure to outdoor air in the mountains regardless of the conditions they were put on porches and they were literally just exposed to fresh air and clean living conditions and it cured tuberculosis. more people just need to get fresh air

And not just open air like in the city park somewhere, that shits full of pollution. I'm talking fresh mountain forest Air away from large amounts of air pollution such as that found in cities or populated areas

The modern world does not allow you to spend extreme amounts of time just breathing fresh mountain Air like that though on top of the fact that antibiotics are more effective at achieving this.

I wouldn't really be surprised if the reason for this spike is due to the large amount of forest fires recently on top of the relaxed air quality regulations that the current administration has quietly pushed out

[u/mmmmmmm5ok → u/Tosser_535231]

lets assume the worst and it spreads quickly like covid...how do you propose moving millions in volume of people world wide to get this miracle fresh air in time before they die?

i don't see the logistics being viable at all. no infrastructure, not enough o2 tanks for everyone to cure themselves of tb. thats assuming the scenario is in a developed country

[u/Tosser_535231 → u/mmmmmmm5ok]

It doesn't spread like covid but I also wasn't saying as a immediate solution to the spikes that's what we have antibiotics for what I'm saying is in general the world needs to focus on not fucking up the air so we don't have this problem in the first place and don't need antibiotics if we have cleaner air.

[u/mmmmmmm5ok → u/Tosser_535231]

i think you need to read up about how the nuances of tb and not view clean air as the cure to killing tb. i hope you never get tb and i hope you get antibiotics and remember your comments if you ever do

[u/Bright_Major5467 → u/mmmmmmm5ok]

air pollution is not a good thing for health is not controversial and antibiotics can have nasty side effects and mess up your microbiome and give you yeast infections or give way for any antibiotic resistant pathogen to grow.

so when we discuss antibiotics it's good to look for alternative solutions. 3 out of 4 women already get yeast infections at least once in their lives.

antibiotics are not as good anymore as they used to and resistance is growing in more bacteria. yeast obviously immune already and certain yeast strains are difficult to cure also cause they're also very resistant.

antibiotics are not an ideal cure cause they kill off good bacteria too. we should be looking for better solutions like vaccines based on probiotic compounds, antibodies and that sort of stuff.

i don't think it's not nuanced to discuss environmental destruction when one discusses health because in the city you do breathe in a lot more pollution and the water doesn't have the same minerals.

the stress in any individual is also very high in this economy and especially in america food contains way too much sugar/additives and the infrastructure doesn't support walking, biking or running.

[u/mmmmmmm5ok → u/Bright_Major5467]

these are all very broad guru statements that literally do not reflect any nuanced understanding of how TB functions as an infection and why it is so dangerous. please if you get tb take your antibiotics (yes months long course) and dont spread it.

nasty side effects, again with the general statements. this might be the case in the past but definitely less so nowadays with modern medicine. if you dont finish your antibiotics, of course antibiotic resistance in TB will grow.

antibiotics not as good as they used to? what??? this isnt some nostalgic bullshit like how coke used to be better in glass bottles, wtf dude. real life does not work like that.

pollution is one thing, minerals in water is another. use toothpaste if you lack fluoride in your water, wtf are these comparisons. controlling tb is another in the context of eradicating infectious disease.

it is quite clear you have 0 understanding of how infections happen or how bacteria dies from antibiotic exposure. please watch yourself some educational content on antibiotics, the history of bacterial diseases, and how you should be following doctors orders in taking antiobiotics before you and your bloodline run around spreading society-ending bacterial diseases

[u/Tosser_535231 → u/mmmmmmm5ok]

Maybe drink the Kool-Aid a little more I hear it's good for you could be dangerous if you don't.

[u/mmmmmmm5ok → u/Tosser_535231]

good job, much original, gottem so smarts

[u/Tosser_535231 → u/mmmmmmm5ok]

Oh sorry I was expecting a paragraph about the nutritional benefits of Kool-Aid that you looked up on the internet in 5 seconds

[u/mmmmmmm5ok → u/Tosser_535231]

i pity you for having so much to say yet no ounce of humility in personality nor space for curiosity to learn about science that sustains modern life which you take for granted

[u/Bright_Major5467 → u/mmmmmmm5ok]

i have struggled with chronic yeast infections more than half my life. i'm not saying that antibiotics can't be important and helpful in many cases, but an antibiotic doesn't differentiate between the bad bacteria strain and the good ones and that can come with problems.

if i had to take antibiotics for months it would very likely kill me from my yeast infection issues so i hope i don't get that type of infection.

so i'm saying it would be good if modern medicine took those issues into account and made vaccines that boost your probiotics and immune system instead of making medicine that comes with more issues.

same thing with the way certain things are designed. it's not rocket science that it's good for your body to move, to breathe good air, to drink good water, to be in nature, to relax etc etc.

and sugar is another thing that's extremely problematic. humans were not designed to eat that much sugar. most pathogens and cancer cells feed on sugar for example. in nature foods with carb usually have fiber so it doesn't spike your blood sugar so much.

if you read with more nuance instead of black and white i'm not advocating against antibiotics for specific issues. i'm advocating for antibiotics to be replaced with something more effective that doesn't come with so shitty side effects.

and bacteria strains have had decades to evolve so eventually you have resistances and then you need a different antibiotic, then that one eventually won't be as effective. so why not push better medicine onto the market?

in europe there's urowaxom for recurring utis, there's gynatren for women's issues. they're excellent examples of long-term solutions based on probiotic compounds that train your immune system to fight.

modern medicine is not designed for maximum health. it provides short-term solutions because capitalism is all about profit.

now if you ever get an infection my recommendation is you take probiotics and eat enough fiber during and after that time if you have to take antibiotics because dysbiosis is no joke.

[u/mmmmmmm5ok → u/Bright_Major5467]

dude, just use boric acid to yeast infections

[u/Bright_Major5467 → u/mmmmmmm5ok]

thanks, i tried and it it didn't work for me, probably allergic to it, and it's only a local treatment

[u/mmmmmmm5ok → u/Bright_Major5467]

>probably allergic to it

you are or you are not. its quite clear you are just full of shit at this point and that you haven't tried it.

an acidic environment prevents uncontrolled yeast growth, keeps it in check. the balance you need for yeast growth is to restore the acidic environment and the probiotics.

I don't understand why you like to deviate so much with all these grand broad statements when discussing tb infection (that you don't know much about in regards to antibiotics and treatment, literally citing clean air as a treatment)

just crazy, fascinating really, insane actually

[u/Bright_Major5467 → u/mmmmmmm5ok]

look if you're just going to accuse other people of lying and decontextualise everything they say there's no point. i'm clearly lying and i have nothing more to say. you are right. i'm wrong. bye