Tuberculosis is an ancient disease that had been considered to be conquered till recently.
New cases of TB began to be reported in the 1980's. This is believed to be due to the growing number of HIV infected people and new strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to the common anti-mycobacterial drugs. This increase in tuberculosis has caused a need for new preventive measures against the spread of this highly contagious bacterium. New York City is an area that is on the increase in numbers of infected TB people. The reason for this rise is thought to be due to the problem of homelessness, HIV infected people, drug and alcohol abusers and crowded living areas.