[hedgetrimmer]

Here in New England, we have seen a resurgance of tuberculosis, a disease that had pretty much disappeared.

Tuberculosis was nearly eradicated in the US, and SAN FRANCISCO has MDR-TB tuberculosis. It is deadly and untreatable. When you ask medical professionals if they expect a pandemic that will kill many many humans, they don't say it will be avian flu. They say it will be tuberculosis.

[Maigrey]

Could that be because of a slightly higher than average population of bug-chasers? Not a nice way to kick the bucket.

[ko_kyi]

Something like 1/3 of the world population has TB, usually in a dormant and non-contagious state.

Sometimes what happens is that a person gets immune system problems due to drugs, radiation, HIV, etc. and then becomes active and infectious.

TB takes a year to treat correctly. In most countries the sick person gets enough pills to force the TB into a dormant state, then they get sick again a few months later with a drug-resistant version.