Grand Rounds are presented live every 3rd Tuesday of each month. Can't catch it live? Check out the Grand Rounds On Demand archive for our past presentations.

TB and HIV: A Deadly Duo

Presented on .

As we commemorate Dr. Robert Koch’s 1882 discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis, we are reminded of the many advances over the past 129 years in TB control. Through the intervention efforts of CDC, USAID, WHO’s Stop TB Partnership, and many others, TB death rates have fallen by 35% since 1990, and as many as 6 million lives have been saved since 1995.

In spite of these successes, TB still remains a serious threat, especially for those infected with HIV. HIV is the single most powerful risk factor for TB disease and one of the leading causes of death among people infected with HIV. Among the 1.7 million lives that TB claimed in 2009, 380,000 were among people with HIV infection. While people with HIV who have TB can be effectively diagnosed and treated, more effort is needed to diagnose and treat TB promptly and effectively, and to scale-up preventive treatment for TB.

World TB Day presents CDC and its partners with a prime opportunity to discuss TB/HIV-related problems and solutions while renewing our support for worldwide TB control efforts. This special session of Public Health Grand Rounds shed light on myths and misconceptions about TB and HIV, and discussed actions needed in preventing deaths from this lethal combination.

Presented By
Kenneth G. Castro, MD
Director, Division of Tuberculosis Elimination
National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, CDC
Jay Varma, MD
Chief, International Emerging Infections Program - China
Division of Global Disease Detection and Response

Center for Global Health, CDC
Kevin Cain, MD
Chief, TB/HIV Team, International Research and Programs Branch
Division of TB Elimination

National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, CDC
Taraz Samandari, MD, PhD
Chief, Epidemiology Branch, Division of HIV Prevention
National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis STD, and TB Elimination, CDC
Mario Raviglione, MD
Director, STOP TB Department
World Health Organization
Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH
Former Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Administrator, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

CDC, ASTDR
Facilitated By
Tanja Popovic, MD, PhD
Scientific Director
Enjoyed this Presentation?

Get notified about the latest updates from Public Health Grand Rounds right in your inbox by setting up an alert today!

Get notified about the latest updates from Public Health Grand Rounds right in your inbox by setting up an alert today!Sign Up

Sign Up

Get notified about the latest updates from Public Health Grand Rounds right in your inbox by setting up an alert today!

You May Also Like
May 2014, HIV/STD/TB
HIV and pills

An estimated 50,000 individuals become infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the United States annually. A new prevention strategy, Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), is intended to help high-risk populations reduce their risk of HIV infection. Learn about this promising tool.

March 2014, HIV/STD/TB
doctor in front of xrays

Tuberculosis is a global cause of morbidity and mortality. In most cases, TB can be treated and cured with a combination of multiple drugs. However, TB bacteria can develop resistance to multiple drugs. Hear how advances in diagnostic and treatment options are reducing the overall morbidity from multi-drug resistant TB.