Tuberculosis deaths rise for the 1st time in years, due to COVID

LONDON (AP) – The number of people killed by tuberculosis has risen for the first time in more than a decade, largely because fewer people have got tested and treated as resources have been diverted to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

The World Health Organization says in its yearly report on TB that 1.5 million people worldwide died of the bacterial disease last year, a slight rise from the 1.4 million deaths in 2019.

The countries with the highest numbers of TB cases include India, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Nigeria, Bangladesh and South Africa.

TB is caused by a bacterium that most often infects the lungs and is highly transmissible through coughing or sneezing.

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