For people who contract tuberculosis (TB), the course of the disease can vary significantly. Most people do not become ill after infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes the disease. However, people can develop chronic pneumonia and some also have disease in the lymph nodes, bones or the central nervous system. Some TB patients have suppressed and exhausted immune responses, while others have an overacting response that makes the condition worse.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially serious infectious disease caused by a type of bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually affect the lungs, but also can invade other organs.

With the highest incidence of tuberculosis and HIV in the world, Swaziland has lacked dedicated resources to tackle the disease burden resulting from TB, which is amplified in children as a result of diagnosis difficulties, limited screening, weakened immune systems and high infection risks. Global health experts from Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital hope to make a meaningful difference in this fight with the recent opening of a new, state-of-the-art facility dedicated to improving identification, treatment and outcomes of children affected by TB.

A $3 million, three-year grant from the National Institutes of Health will enable researchers from the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative at Texas Children’s Hospital to study the genetic factors that affect the progression of tuberculosis and HIV in one of the largest populations infected with the diseases yet to be studied– children in sub-Saharan Africa.