Revvity commemorates World TB Day 2024
World TB Day falls on the 24th of March every year. On this day in 1882, Dr. Robert Koch first announced that he had isolated the bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which was responsible for causing tuberculosis (TB). This year, on the 24th of March 2024, the fight to eradicate this ancient disease continues, and it feels like it now has more momentum than ever. For this World TB Day, we wanted to look back through the history of TB, starting in March 1882, and celebrate all the efforts and achievements that have been made and are still being made today. Whilst there is still a lot of work to be done, at Revvity, we are more confident than ever that “Yes! We can end TB”.
1882 – discovering the bacillus
In 1882, TB was responsible for one in seven deaths across Europe and the United States. Dr. Robert Koch discovered rod-shaped bacteria in the tissues of patients suffering with TB, but this was not sufficient evidence that these bacteria were the cause of the disease. To confirm that the bacterium he had found was responsible for TB, he came up with four conditions that later became known as Koch’s postulates. They were:
- That the organism was present in every case of the disease
- That the organism could be cultured outside of the body
- That when inoculated into an animal, the bacterium would cause the same disease
- That the organism could then be found in that animal
Dr. Koch was eventually able to culture the bacteria and show that his four conditions could be met. It was at this time that he also discovered that sputum from patients with the disease was the primary way that the disease was spreading – a finding that ultimately led to the creation of transmission prevention strategies.
Koch’s postulates, which originated in the 1800s, are still widely recognized as foundational principles in microbiology. While their application has evolved over time, they remain the cornerstone of identifying causal links between a microbe and a disease. The importance of this work was such that Dr. Koch was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1905.
1907 – the introduction of tests to detect TB
Dr. Robert Koch once again played a role in developing tests that could identify those infected with TB. In 1890, he developed tuberculin, an extract of the TB bacteria, initially thinking it could cure the disease. Unfortunately, he quickly found that it was ineffective. However, in 1907, Clemens von Pirquet developed a test whereby a small amount of tuberculin was placed under the skin, and the resulting immune reaction from the body could be measured. He also coined the term “latent TB infection” in 1909.
The developments continued in 1908 when Charles Mantoux began using a needle and syringe to inject the tuberculin under the skin. However, at this stage, the tuberculin used was not standardized, and the test was known to yield inconsistent results. It was not until the 1930s that Florence Seibert developed a method of creating a purified protein derivative of tuberculin (PPD), allowing the TB skin test to be standardized and ultimately adopted by the United States government in 1940. The TB skin test using PPD is still used today and is almost identical to the test developed in the 1930s. The development of the test was the first step towards being able to find, treat and ultimately end TB.
While the skin test is still widely used, many more tests are now available for latent and active TB infection. Blood tests for TB infection were introduced in the early 2000s, and chest X-rays, molecular tests, and cultures provide methods of identifying those with TB disease.
1921 – the development of the first TB vaccine
In 1921, Albert Calmette and Jean-Marie Camille Guerin developed the Bacille Calmette-Guerin or the BCG vaccination. The BCG vaccine is prepared using a strain of live tuberculosis bacteria that can cause disease in cows but has lost its ability to cause disease in humans. The BCG vaccine has been shown to be effective at preventing severe forms of TB, for example, tuberculosis meningitis in children; however, its ability to prevent pulmonary TB and its effectiveness in adults is variable.
Despite the limitations, in 2024, the BCG will remain the only vaccine for TB, but vaccine research is now moving at a rapid pace. The development of a more effective TB vaccine will undoubtedly play an important role in reducing the incidence of disease and death due to TB around the world.
1943 – the first true treatment for TB
In the 1800s when TB was raging across Europe and the United States, the only treatments for the disease included cod liver oil and vinegar massages – which, as you can imagine, were ineffective. As a result, those infected with TB were often sent to TB sanatoriums to prevent them from spreading the disease to others. The discovery of penicillin in 1928 was a turning point, as it was the start of natural antibiotic production. However, it was not until 1943, when Streptomycin was developed, that the world had its first true treatment for TB.
Today, treatment for TB has undergone colossal progression. TB is now treated using a cocktail of drugs dependent on the resistance and susceptibility profile of the strain that has infected the patient.
2024 – Yes! We can end TB
Dr. Robert Koch kickstarted the fight to end TB back in 1882, and at Revvity, we are still fighting to end TB today. In September 2023, we attended the United Nations High Level Meeting on TB, where we heard world leaders’ commitments to eradicating disease and preventing TB-related deaths. It really showed us how much progress has been made over the years, from March 24th, 1882, when the world found out which bacteria were causing TB disease, to the present, where we now have numerous effective tests and treatments and hopes for a new vaccine.
At Revvity, we are still as committed as ever to ending TB. We eagerly anticipate March 24th, 2025, to witness the progress we and the global TB community have made toward this goal.
