Abstract

MORENO ALTAMIRANO, LAURA. DESDE LAS FUERZAS MÁGICAS HASTA ROBERTO KOCH: UN ENFOQUE EPIDEMIOLÓGICO DE LA TUBERCULOSIS. Rev. Inst. Nal. Enf. Resp. Mex. [online]. 2004, vol.17, n.2, pp.117-125. ISSN 0187-7585.

Since the beginning of History tuberculosis, "the white death", has been a disease that has caused enormous impairment to Humanity. Since it is considered an epidemic, if not pandemic, we review the historical pathway of this illness, considered a transmissible disease. We will review its causes through history and the scientists who devoted themselves to study it, until the discovery of Robert Koch (1843-1910) (Nobel, 1905) of the bacillus. The preventive and curative measures are also revised until we get to the discovery of the vaccine BCG (Calmette-Guérin bacillus) in our modern age, 1919 to be precise, supposedly to be the end of this scourge. Nevertheless, nowadays we have the disease among us, increased and virulent. This is the so called "sickness of the poverty", social sickness of the masses. So, from the "Magic Forces" up to our age, we contend with TB, sickness already know by Egyptians and Babylonians and suffered still by Humanity in our newborn XXI Century.

Keywords : Tuberculosis; epidemy; pandemy; Robert Koch; BCG vaccine.