Tuberculosis is a serious infectious disease. The paper presents the view from the perspective of history and paleopathology of tuberculosis. It describes genetic research of the agents of group called Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. The first findings of tuberculosis were proved in remains of Pleistocene bison. The first remains of individuals affected tuberculosis come from the Stone Age. The first mentions of tuberculosis written records come from the Old Testament. Ancient „father of medicine“ Hippocrates mistakenly thought that tuberculosis was a hereditary and non-infectious disease.
Efforts to search for the agent of the disease were not successful until the discovery of Robert Koch in 28. 3. 1882. Research in the treatment of tuberculosis even today in the 21st century due to the constantly changing interrelation between the agent of the disease and humans i. e., so called coevolution.
Tuberculosis; epidemic; treatment; history; paleopathology
ISSN 0300-4414 (print)
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founded 1968
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