Abstract
Tuberculosis, once commonly called consumption, may have killed one in seven people who ever lived. Tuberculosis is driven by a bacterial pathogen that largely transmits by air. The disease itself is notable for extended chronic cases featuring long periods of quiescence, where the pathogen is blockaded in granulomas established with the aid of the human immune system. While reactivation is rare, the sheer number of individuals who are infected with this disease worldwide—about two billion people—means that even this rareness is enough to cause an immense human toll. Because of the chronic nature of tuberculosis, those who have weakened immune systems for any reason are at particular risk of an adverse outcome.