Tuberculosis (TB)

Strains of this disease have been traced back to the DNA of ancient Egyptian mummies, revealing that this epidemic has been wreaking havoc on humanity for thousands of years. Caused by a bacteria that spreads through the air, this disease attacks the lungs and causes internal weakness, chest pains, night sweats, and terrible fits of coughing. In the 19th century, tuberculosis killed an estimated one-quarter of the adult population of Europe, and by 1918 one in six deaths in France were still caused by TB. Today, the disease is still around, affecting nearly 8 million people a year  and leading to the death of about 2 million of those infected.