Doctors have sounded the alarm bell on extrapulmonary TB, one that does not affect the lungs but the spine, lymph nodes, abdomen, bones, and brain. A report in this paper stated that this non-respiratory TB often mimics other serious illnesses like cancer, making it harder to detect.

According to 2024 data from the National TB Elimination Programme, India recorded 26.07 lakh TB cases, the highest ever. Though TB incidence has dropped by 17.7 per cent since 2015 and TB-related deaths by 21.4 per cent, the rise in non-lung TB cases signals the need for heightened awareness. Medical experts have pointed out that compromised immunity, poor nutrition, and post-pandemic lifestyle changes are to blame for the rise in these cases.

For those living in fast-paced cities like Mumbai, for example, proper nutrition and self-care usually are at the bottom of the list of priorities. Missing main meals because we have to catch trains or eating junk food because it is easily accessible, not getting enough sleep as we have hours of commuting through the day to reach workplaces, are all insidious contributors to compromised immunity. Another problem, experts cite, is the indiscriminate use of antibiotics to treat every ailment. Time and again, we have been told that antibiotics are solely used to treat bacterial infections, yet they continue to be prescribed for viral infections on which they have zero effect.