Tuberculosis and migration

Historically, human migration has had a major impact on the spread of tuberculosis (TB). Early in the nineteenth century, 25% of deaths in western Europe were attributable to TB. Western Europeans subsequently carried TB to central Africa, south and south-east Asia and the Americas, resulting in major epidemics in these regions. While TB incidence has fallen dramatically in western Europe since the 1950s, it has remained high in most low-income countries.