Tuberculosis

A bacterial infection, usually of the lungs, spread by coughing. Treatable, and slow to diagnose.

Is tuberculosis worse than usual anywhere?

At or below its usual in every country that reports it.

What is tuberculosis?

An infection caused by bacteria that most often harms the lungs. It can be prevented and cured.

Signs: A long-lasting cough, sometimes with blood, plus fever, night sweats, weight loss, chest pain and tiredness. Signs can stay mild for months.
How it spreads: Through the air when a person with TB in the lungs coughs, sneezes or spits.
How to protect yourself: Babies in many countries get the BCG vaccine, which guards against severe TB. Finding and treating people early stops it spreading.
Get medical help: See a health worker for a cough that will not go away, coughing blood, night sweats or weight loss. Daily medicine for 4 to 6 months cures it.

In Dooram's words, from the World Health Organization. Source: Tuberculosis (WHO fact sheet), read 8 October 2026. General information, not medical advice.

Which districts are furthest above their usual?

5 districts are above usual.

Each district against itself. A large district always has more cases than a small one, so each is compared only with its own usual.

When does tuberculosis usually peak?

Sri LankaNo fixed season: it peaked in August 2024 and March 2025.
PakistanNo fixed season: it peaked in November 2024 and February 2025.

What "usual" means.

Sources. Epidemiology Unit, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, weekly report; Field Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Division, National Institutes of Health, Islamabad, weekly report.