ASU researchers track origin of tuberculosis

May 5, 2008

Tuberculosis, or TB as it is commonly called, was long considered one of humankind’s pathological scourges before being deemed controlled in industrialized nations. However, with the advent of antibiotic-resistant strains and a growing global consciousness, tuberculosis is once again in the public psyche as a menace that could potentially victimize anyone in any part of the world. Now, more than ever, insight into the origin and trajectory of the disease is relevant. That is why a team of ASU researchers is getting noticed for its work regarding tuberculosis' human-animal link.   

Luz-Andrea Pfister, a graduate student in the School of Human Evolution; Anne C. Stone, an associate professor in the school; and Michael S. Rosenberg, an assistant professor in the School of Life Sciences, presented their findings at the April meetings of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists and subsequently found their work picked up by Science magazine. Among the highlights was the suggestion that tuberculosis traveled from humans to cattle, not the other way around, as commonly believed, and that the transference occurred long before domestication. Read more...

Rebecca Howe, rebecca.howe@asu.edu
(480) 727-6577
School of Human Evolution and Social Change