Scientists have discovered that while most cases of tuberculosis (TB) occur
in the lungs, an ancient strain has a penchant for migrating to the
skeleton and wreaking havoc on the bones from the inside out.
in the lungs, an ancient strain has a penchant for migrating to the
skeleton and wreaking havoc on the bones from the inside out.
Researchers have found evidence of spinal damage from tuberculosis in
9,000-year-old Egyptian mummies. Skeletal tuberculosis, often known as
Pott’s disease, now accounts for only 2% of all TB cases in the United
States.
However, an unusual event occurred during a TB epidemic in the middle of
the 2000s in North Carolina. The source of this epidemic appears to have
been an individual who contracted tuberculosis in Vietnam.
