Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Kisangani

by Olivier Kisapa

The origins of tuberculosis seem to go back as far as the history of humanity can remember. As early as prehistoric times, and to mention only one of the most prestigious civilizations, we know that it did not spare the small people of ancient Egypt, nor their priests, nor even the great Pharaoh Akhenaten. Today, tuberculosis remains a major public health problem in the world. It is the most deadly of all infectious diseases and represents a serious challenge for international public health action. In France, in 2010, 5187 cases of tuberculosis disease were reported, 73% of which were pulmonary forms; 52% of pulmonary forms are accompanied by the presence of Koch's bacillus on direct examination of sputum. In Canada, there are approximately 1600 new cases each year. In 2010, 1577 new cases of active and retreating tuberculosis were reported; on the other hand, pulmonary tuberculosis causes the occurrence of 1 to 3 million deaths each year.