The Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) primarily affects the lungs but can also spread to other organs. (image/unsplash)

One of the most critical health challenges faced by the country, India accounts for the highest number of tuberculosis (TB) cases across the world. World Tuberculosis Day is observed on March 24 to raise awareness about the contagious airborne disease and recognise efforts to eliminate the disease.

While the central government has planned to eliminate TB by 2025, India has witnessed a 17.7 percent decline in TB incidence from 2015 to 2023.

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Discovered by Dr Robert Koch in 1882, the TB-causing bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) primarily affects the lungs but can also spread to other organs.

Although TB is treatable with antibiotics, the development of drug-resistant strains has created major roadblocks when it comes to treatment, increasing the risk of transmission. Recently, Indian researchers successfully completed genome sequencing of 10,000 MTB isolates, which could potentially transform TB diagnosis and treatments.

Launched on March 24, 2022, the Dare2eraD TB initiative, under the Indian Tuberculosis Genomic Surveillance (InTGS) Consortium, a collaborative effort involving the Department of Biotechnology, the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) institutes, aims to work to sequence more than 32,000 TB isolates across India.

A cutting-edge technique that analyses the complete genetic material of the bacteria, genome sequencing is a method by which scientists can identify mutations that make the MTB bacteria resistant to standard TB medications.

The process will also help predict which antibiotics will be effective for a specific patient. This will allow faster and more personalised treatment.

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Until then, the BCG vaccine is the most effective way to prevent severe forms of TB, particularly among children.

Other homecare precautions include improving ventilation in indoor spaces and avoiding crowded or enclosed areas, maintaining a healthy diet, and practising breathing exercises to strengthen lung exercises, among others. These preventive measures can help lower the risk of TB infection and contribute to the global fight against the disease+.