In the evolutionary arms race between human and bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis appears to be pulling ahead.

Dr Christian Lienhardt discusses the International Roadmap for Tuberculosis Research - a framework outlining priority areas for investment in TB research.

WHO in collaboration with the Consortium to Respond Effectively to the AIDS/TB Epidemic (CREATE) and the TB/HIV Working Group of the Stop TB Partnership is organizing the 6th CROI affiliated HIV/TB research meeting which will be held on Monday 5 March 2012, 11:30-13:30 at the Grand Hyatt Seattle in Seattle, USA.

Early diagnosis and rapid initiation of treatment remains a key strategy to control both HIV and TB. However, HIV and TB control programs have had completely contrasting successes, especially with the development and deployment of point-of-care diagnostics.

In a January 17 statement, India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare "dismissed reports that a form of incurable tuberculosis [TB] has arrived in the country," saying "that a team of doctors sent by the ministry found that seven of the patients are responding to treatment" and the cases would be classified and managed as extremely drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), Nature News Blog reports (Jayaraman, 1/19).

Tuberculosis (TB) has been suspected to increase a person's risk of lung cancer because the pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis can induce genetic damage. However, direct evidence of specific genetic changes and the disease have not been extensively reported.

An intensive high-level courses on TB diagnosis research will take place at the University of Cape Town from 6-9 March 2012 and repeated at McGill University from 9-13 July 2012.

Doctors at the Hinduja National Hospital and Research Centre in Mumbai, India, are reporting on a strain of tuberculosis (TB) emerging among patients that is resistant to all first- and second-line drugs used to treat the bacterial infection. At least twelve patients have been identified so far.  The doctors do not present evidence that the resistant strain is passing from human to human, and mostly focus on how TDR can develop in TB infected individuals due to poor treatment management.

Tuberculosis (TB) in children is often a neglected issue, in terms of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring prevalence. The best numbers we have are from the World Health Organization (WHO), according to Mandy Slutsker of ACTION, an international partnership of global health advocates. The WHO reported in 2009 that every year more than 1 million children get infected and about 176,000 die as a result. However, since most cases go unreported, the numbers are likely much higher, she said.

We're upgrading TB Online this weekend. The site might behave erratically and be up and down quite a bit over the next 72 hours. Apologies in advance. It should all be working properly again by Monday morning.