Tuberculosis (TB) is once again the infectious disease responsible for the most deaths worldwide, according to a Tuesday announcement from the World Health Organization (WHO).

The contagious disease was responsible for 1.25 million global deaths in 2023, WHO reported, including 161,000 people with HIV.

COVID-19 had overtaken TB as the world’s leading infectious killer for the previous three years.

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What to know about tuberculosis

TB is a preventable and curable disease caused by bacteria that typically impacts the lungs, according to WHO.

It is an airborne contagion that can be spread through coughing, sneezing or saliva.

While around 25% of people have likely been infected with the bacteria, only 5% to 10% will experience symptoms and develop the disease, the same source stated.

Only people with symptoms can spread the disease.

Who is at risk?

“If you breathe, you can catch TB — so all people are at risk,” Masae Kawamura, M.D., a former TB control director in San Francisco and a tuberculosis clinician, told Fox News Digital. 

Kawamura calls TB a “social disease of crowding and mobility.” 

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“Since TB is airborne, congregate settings like hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, jails, classrooms and homeless shelters are places TB is more easily spread, especially if multiple risks are involved,” she said.

Those at the highest risk of developing TB disease after exposure include people who have diabetes, have weakened immunity, are malnourished, use tobacco and/or drink excess amounts of alcohol.

Babies and children are also at higher risk.

“If a person has latent TB infection, TB disease activation varies from 5% to 15% over a lifetime, but can be higher if a person has multiple risks, such being an elderly person and/or being malnourished, having diabetes and/or having other diseases that weaken the immune system,” said Kawamura.

Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

Those who get sick with TB may experience mild symptoms, including coughing, chest pain, fatigue, weight loss, weakness, fever and night sweats, according to WHO.

Symptoms will vary depending on which organs are affected. 

“If you breathe, you can catch TB — so all people are at risk.”

In addition to the lungs, the disease can also affect the kidneys, spine, skin and brain.

“TB can affect any organ of the body, but it causes disease in the lung in over 80% of cases,” said Kawamura.

“This is dangerous because it causes cough, the mechanism of airborne spread.”

TB is an airborne contagion that can be spread through coughing, sneezing or saliva. (iStock)

In more severe cases, patients may cough up blood, noted Kawamura, who serves on the board of directors of Vital Strategies, a global public health organization. 

“Often there are minimal symptoms for a long time and people mistake their occasional cough with allergies, smoking or a cold they can’t shake off,” she added.

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TB can be identified with rapid diagnostic tests, WHO noted.

The disease is treated with antibiotics that are taken every day for four to six months, the same source stated. Some of the most common include isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol.

“TB can affect any organ of the body, but it causes disease in the lung in over 80% of cases,” an expert said. “This is dangerous because it causes cough, the mechanism of airborne spread.” (iStock)

Failing to take the complete course of medications can cause the bacteria to become drug-resistant.

Cases of drug-resistant TB need to be treated with different medications.

When TB becomes deadly

If TB goes untreated, it is fatal in about half of its victims, according to Kawamura. 

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“About 25% recover on their own and another 25% persist as chronic active TB cases,” she said.  

 In the U.S., most active TB cases are detected at an earlier stage, the expert noted, but the death rate is still “shockingly high” at 10%, and much higher if the patient is over 65 years old.  

Prevention of the disease

There is a childhood vaccine called BCG (Bacille-Calmette-Guerin) that is given in most of the world to infants, Kawamura noted.

“It reduces death, meningitis and organ dissemination by 75% in children under 5 — however, it does not prevent TB infection and is ineffective in adults,” the doctor told Fox News Digital. 

The best means of prevention is testing those at risk and treating latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), a doctor advised. (iStock)

“Overall, BCG is considered ineffective, hence, TB’s title as the greatest infectious disease killer of all time.”

BCG was never used in the U.S. because of the country’s lower rates of TB, its ineffectiveness and its interference with TB tests, she added.

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The best means of prevention is testing those at risk and treating latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), according to the doctor. 

The presidential election is already stressful for most Americans – and these stressors can trickle down into relationships.

A new poll from the American Psychological Association (APA) found that 77% of Americans believe the future of our nation is a “significant source of stress,” along with the economy (73%) and the upcoming election (69%).

The “Stress in America” online survey, which polled 3,000 U.S. adults of different political affiliations in August 2024, analyzed potential fallout from election results, including in our own relationships.

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About one-third (32%) of adults said the political climate has caused a strain between themselves and family members, while 30% have limited their time spent with family members who don’t share the same values.

Half of U.S. adults admitted that tensions around social and political topics make them want to connect less with others, and 28% claimed they have “nothing in common” with people who have different political opinions.

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Another August 2024 survey by LifeStance Health – a mental health care network headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona – found that 44% of Americans have experienced conflicts in their personal lives due to political or election-related discussions.

Almost a quarter of the 1,052 surveyed adults had considered ending a friendship due to opposing political views, and 18% had done so.

‘Political compatibility’

Political affiliation can also come into play when it comes to dating.

The APA found that 46% of adults would not date someone with different political opinions, split almost evenly between men and women.

Half of Gen Z consider “political compatibility” to be an important factor in dating, the LifeStance survey found. (iStock)

Half of Gen Z respondents in LifeStance’s survey said they consider “political compatibility” to be an important factor in dating, compared to 42% of millennials, 31% of Gen X and 29% of baby boomers.

One-third (33%) of all respondents claimed they would not date someone who disagreed with their political views, while 28% would consider it a “deal-breaker.”

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Almost a quarter of Gen Z and millennials have ended a romantic relationship due to at least one political disagreement.

Setting boundaries

MK Clarkin, a licensed clinical social worker and executive clinical director at LifeStance Health in St. Louis, Missouri, said she finds it “interesting” how younger Americans, like Gen Z, prioritize political like-mindedness in their relationships above other generations.

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“These generations share the highest likelihood of experiencing moderate to significant distress around the election cycle, so it stands to reason that they align their relationships with their values and political views,” she told Fox News Digital.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and former U.S. President Donald Trump during the second presidential debate at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 10, 2024. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

For those who are anxious about engaging in political discussions with friends or family members who have different opinions, Clarkin recommends setting “clear and kind boundaries.”

“That could sound like, ‘I am so glad to see you, let’s talk about something else. I want to hear about how your new job is going,’” she suggested as an example. 

“Isolating ourselves from our communities is a recipe for adding more stress to our lives.”

“Or, ‘I get the sense you have a lot to say about the election. I’m going to excuse myself from this conversation, but I’d love to connect with you later and catch up about other parts of life.'”

Clarkin also encouraged the use of “I feel” statements to “express your views without escalating tension.”

An expert encourages Americans to “set clear and kind boundaries” when engaging in political discussions. (iStock)

“Regardless of what side of the political aisle someone stands on, election seasons tend to be tough on mental health,” she said. 

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“It’s hard to find an area of our personal lives not directly impacted by who wins an election — personal finance, access to health care, childcare and education, to name a few.”

‘Listen to understand’

Americans have faced a “highly charged” political climate, which has led to the “erosion of civil discourse and strained our relationships with our friends and families,” APA CEO Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, noted in a press release.

“But isolating ourselves from our communities is a recipe for adding more stress to our lives,” he said. 

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“We must remember that the most extreme voices are often the loudest, and that the majority of adults share similar values and concerns.”

Despite these tensions, healthy social connections are “important for managing stress and overall health,” Dr. Lynn Bufka, APA’s deputy chief of professional practice and a licensed psychologist in Maryland, told Fox News Digital.

“We do not have to agree on everything.”

Bufka noted that Americans have more in common than they might think, as 82% of U.S. adults believe it’s important to have conversations with people who don’t share the same values.

“Try to understand the person you’re speaking with and help them feel safe and understood,” she suggested.

“Listen to understand, not to defend your point of view,” Bufka went on. “We do not have to agree on everything.”

82% of U.S. adults believe it’s important to have conversations with people who don’t share the same values, an expert said. (iStock)

People should look for broader qualities in others beyond politics, such as shared values in areas like kindness, respect and support, she advised.

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Added Bufka, “Encouraging open dialogue and empathy, even amid disagreement, can enrich relationships and foster resilience against the stressors that come from political division.”

Fox News’ Health newsletter brings you stories on the latest developments in health care, wellness, diseases, mental health and more.

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Gisele Bündchen is expecting a baby with boyfriend Joaquim Valente, a source confirmed to Fox News Digital.

The supermodel, 44, is pregnant for the third time. She already has two kids with her ex-husband, retired NFL quarterback Tom Brady.

Bündchen is reportedly several months along and will not find out the baby’s gender – but she is planning a home birth, a source told People Magazine, as she did with her son.

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Although Bündchen is no stranger to giving birth at home, some experts have called out the risks.

The biggest concern about giving birth at home is what happens if something goes wrong, according to Talitha Phillips, a labor and postpartum doula and CEO of health nonprofit Claris Health. 

“If there is a serious medical complication, sometimes there is less access to necessary medical interventions,” the Los Angeles-based expert told Fox News Digital.

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Kristin Revere, an elite certified birth, postpartum and infant care doula and owner of Gold Coast Doulas in Michigan, also warned about medical access, noting that home births are “not covered by general insurance.”

“If a transfer needs to happen during labor and the hospital is a distance away, and mother or baby is in distress, they may not be able to get the medical attention they need in time,” she told Fox News Digital. 

“If an epidural is desired or needed, the mother will need to transfer to the hospital.”

Mothers in distress may not be able to get the “medical attention they need in time,” a doula warned. (iStock)

There are some benefits to birthing at home, the experts noted, including the fact that the mother can be in a “very comfortable” and familiar environment that “feels less clinical,” according to Phillips.

There are also fewer medical interventions to deal with throughout the process, like IVs, shift changes and the ability to eat and change positions whenever the woman wants, she added.

“If an epidural is desired or needed, the mother will need to transfer to the hospital.”

“You also get to choose the people who you want to be a part of your birth, and you build a relationship with the team that you’re welcoming into this special process,” Phillips said. 

“If you have other children, they can also be there if you want them to be.”

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Revere said her clients appreciate not having to “scramble to get someone to watch their children when they go into labor.” 

Home births can also be more affordable than a hospital, even with insurance co-pays, she noted.

A mother can choose whether she wants her other children present during a home birth. (iStock)

“Some of my clients fear hospitals and prefer to deliver in their environment, while others prefer the longer prenatal visits that many home birth midwives provide,” she said. 

“Some mothers have a history of quick labors and feel more comfortable delivering at home.”

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Pregnancy tends to be higher-risk for people older than 35, according to Mayo Clinic and other sources.

As Bündchen is 44, Phillips mentioned that age should be discussed with the home birth professional when making the decision, as it may be considered as part of the medical intake and pregnancy history.

Tom Brady of the New England Patriots celebrates with then-wife Gisele Bundchen and children Vivian and Benjamin after Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Feb. 3, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

But Revere added that age is not as much of a factor in home births as it is in overall health.

“Home births are for low-risk clients,” she said. “There may be restrictions on delivery dates based on the age of the mother and state laws regarding home births.”

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For women considering a home birth, Phillips encouraged considering a provider’s qualifications, education, history and past patient reviews before making a decision.

“You want to make sure to hire someone you feel comfortable with, who adds peace and knowledge to the experience and is a good fit for you,” she told Fox News Digital.

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“Make sure the medical provider is backed up by a provider with hospital privileges should you need a hospital transfer,” Phillips added. “That allows for open communication between the teams and a smooth transfer in cases where one occurs.”

Home births are for “low-risk clients,” an expert said. She recommends that the woman takes a comprehensive childbirth class to be fully prepared. (iStock)

Revere also suggests that any home birthers take a comprehensive childbirth class that covers breathing and pain relief techniques for an un-medicated birth.

Some of her favorite childbirth classes include HypnoBirthing, The Bradley Method, Lamaze and Gentle Birth.

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There are different laws regarding home births depending on the state where the mother lives, according to Revere, so there could be varying restrictions on things like vaginal birth after cesarean and twin births.

Fox News Digital reached out to Bündchen’s rep for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Tracy Wright contributed to this report.