Today is World TB Day and it commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of Tuberculosis. Regional Director of the American Lung Association Kurt Goerke says, "The American Lung Association began in 1904, we're over a hundred years old and we began with TB. Even though we have it under control for the most part in the US, worldwide it's still the #1 disease killer, tuberculosis."

Physician Stephen Zellner says that TB tends to occur more often in people who have difficulties fighting infections. This includes people with underlying lung disease or those who are otherwise immune compromised. "It's a bacteria that's transmitted from person to person, you get it from someone else who's either carrying it or has the infection."

Dr. Zellner also says that it's important to remember that there's a difference between being infected with tuberculosis and actually having it. "If left untreated can present with pneumonia, associated weight loss, marked fever, particularly with night sweats and chills, coughing up some very dark, foul looking material and it may even contain some blood."

TB can be treated with effective drugs. It's extremely important for patients to take their medicine correctly for the full length of treatment. If taken incorrectly the patient may become sick again and will be able to infect others with strains that are resistant to available drugs.

World TB Day was first sponsored by the World Health Organization on March 24, 1982.