| 400 B.C. |
The Greek physician Hippocrates first describes the clinical symptoms of TB, then called phthisis |
| 1546 |
Fracastorius describes Modern Theory of Contagion; believes phthisis is caused by invisible germs in the lungs. |
| 1629 |
Consumption is the leading cause of death in London |
| 1679 |
Franciscus Delaboe Sylvius discovers the lung nodules characteristic of TB infection (then called consumption), which he terms "tubercles". |
| 1722 |
Benjamin Marten first suggests a version of the "germ theory" of TB, and speculates that it may be communicable from one individual to another |
| 1818 |
Rene Laennec invents the stethoscope, thereby greatly facilitating the diagnosis of TB |
| 1827 |
Reichenbach introduced Creosote as a remedy whose usage became widespread. |
| 1839 |
J.L Schonlein first uses the term "tuberculosis" for the name of the disease |
| 1859 |
Brehmer establishes first successful sanatorium for tuberculosis in Silesia, Germany |
| 1862 |
Louis Pasteur fully formulates the germ theory of tuberculosis |
| 1864 |
Boston prohibits use of milk from diseased cows |
| 1865 |
Villemin proved tuberculosis caused by a small transmissible agent that produced disease in rabbits |
| 1882 |
Robert Koch discovers tubercle bacilli and proves it is infectious agent that causes tuberculosis. The same year, Louis Pasteur demonstrates the use of attenuated bacilli as a vaccine |
| 1890 |
Koch announces his creation of "tuberculin". While providing little protective or curative effects, tuberculin was, and still is, an effective diagnostic tool |
| 1895 |
Roentgen discovered the X-ray which became a basic tool for detection of tuberculosis |
| 1902 |
The Cross of Lorraine (double barred cross) is adopted as the international emblem in the fight against tuberculosis |
| 1907 |
Intradermal tuberculin diagnostic skin test introduced by Charles Mantoux |
| 1908 |
Calmette and Guerin begin development of TB vaccine at Pasteur lab in Lille, France |
| 1920 |
The International Union Against Tuberculosis (IUAT) is founded |
| 1921 |
The resulting Bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccine, termed BCG, is first used in humans by Weil-Halle and protected a newborn infant in Paris |
| 1927 |
Thirty-three medical journals are devoted exclusively to tuberculosis |
| 1928 |
BCG accepted by League of Nations Health Committee |
| 1930 |
Several hundred babies accidentally given virulent tuberculosis instead of BCG vaccine — the "Lubeck disaster" |
| 1945-1948 |
International TB Campaign administers BCG vaccine to over 8 million children in Europe, in fight against post-WWII TB epidemic |
| 1947 |
Streptomycin, discovered by Waksman and Schatz in 1944, shown to be first potent drug against tuberculosis, soon followed by para-amino salicylic acid (PAS). |
| 1952 |
Roche introduces isoniazid antibiotic shown to be highly effective against TB |
| 1960 |
Dr John Crofton, a TB expert, proposed that a combination of drugs — Streptomycin, PAS and Isoniazid — made TB completely curable and declared "all out war" to conquer the disease. |
| 1970 |
First outbreak of drug resistant TB in USA. |
| 1993 |
The World Health Organization declares TB a global emergency, estimating that one third of the world's population (2 billion people) is latently infected with TB and 7-8 million cases of active TB occur each year. Directly Observed Therapy Short Course (DOTS) strategy recommended by WHO and introduced to endemic countries. |
| 1995 |
The first recorded outbreak of MDR-TB at a London hospital HIV Unit. |
| 2002 |
First molecular biology TB vaccine candidate using modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA85A) designed by A. Hill and H. McShane at Oxford University enters clinical testing. |
| 2005 |
First Aeras recombinant BCG vaccine, designed by M. Horwitz at UCLA, enters human trials. |
| 2006 |
The Stop TB Partnership launched its Action Plan to Stop Tuberculosis 2006-2015. In the same year, the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation, after receiving an $82.9 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, expands laboratory dedicated to improving the TB vaccine. |
| 2007 |
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation donates additional $280 million to further research on TB treatment, vaccines, and diagnostic tools. |
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