Ancient bones show tuberculosis older than thought

Ancient bones show tuberculosis older than thought

Scientists discovered tuberculosis in 9,000 year old human bones found off Israel's coast -evidence the disease is at least 3,000 years old. The findings show how tuberculosis has evolved over thousands of years.

• Tuberculosis is an infectious bacterial disease typically attacking the lungs that newly affects about 9.2 million people each year and kills 1.7 million. The emergence and spread of drug-resistant germs makes treating it much harder and could make the disease even deadlier.
  
  DNA analysis and bone lesions characteristic of tuberculosis showed that the skeletons from a 9,000 year-old Pre-Pottery Neolithic village were infected with the disease. Further tests showed that the strain was a type found only in humans.