Tuberculosis (TB) is once again the infectious disease responsible for the most deaths worldwide, according to a Tuesday announcement from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The contagious disease was responsible for 1.25 million global deaths in 2023, WHO reported, including 161,000 people with HIV.
COVID-19 had overtaken TB as the world’s leading infectious killer for the previous three years.
TB is a preventable and curable disease caused by bacteria that typically impacts the lungs, according to WHO.
It is an airborne contagion that can be spread through coughing, sneezing or saliva.
While around 25% of people have likely been infected with the bacteria, only 5% to 10% will experience symptoms and develop the disease, the same source stated.