On March 24, 1882, German physician and bacteriologist Robert Koch announced to the Berlin Physiological Society that he had identified the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis, a slow-growing, rod-shaped organism later named Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which he visualized using a methylene blue stain. Koch's demonstration that a single specific microorganism caused tuberculosis, then the most feared and lethal disease in Europe, provided compelling proof for the germ theory of disease and led him to formulate what became known as Koch's postulates, the criteria still used to establish that a particular microbe causes a particular disease. The discovery earned Koch the 1905 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and the World Health Organization has marked March 24 as World Tuberculosis Day since 1982 in recognition of the announcement's anniversary.
Facts
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Sources
1. Robert Koch (Wikipedia)
WikipediaBiography, 1882 tuberculosis findings
In 1882, he published his findings on tuberculosis, in which he reported the causative agent of the disease to be the slow-growing Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
entity description, Discovery of the Tuberculosis Bacillus
On March 24, 1882, German physician and bacteriologist Robert Koch announced to the Berlin Physiological Society that he had identified the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis, a slow-growing, rod-shaped organism later named Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which he visualized using a methylene blue stain.
View the Source 2. History of World TB Day (CDC)
History of World TB Day, announcement dateQuote, History of World TB Day, announcement date
On March 24, 1882, Dr. Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the germ that causes tuberculosis (TB).
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is March 24 marked as World Tuberculosis Day?
It is the anniversary of Koch's 1882 announcement of the tuberculosis bacterium.
March 24 is the day in 1882 when Robert Koch announced that he had found the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, later named Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The World Health Organization has observed the date as World Tuberculosis Day every year since 1982.
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