Tuberculosis is the number one killer of Africans in South Africa, according to the latest South Africa Survey, published by the South African Institute of Race Relations in Johannesburg last week.

The February issue of the World Health Organization bulletin.

Progress report on emerging issues and potential opportunities to improve access.

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.