THE global (and largest) lung health conference opened with not one but at least three major scientific announcements. The 52nd Union World Conference on Lung Health was marked with the announcement of three major scientific developments that can potentially impact the global response to tuberculosis (TB), the world's second deadliest infectious disease after Covid-19.

Researchers from the University of Cape Town in South Africa announced results from their study of TB-positive people carried out in the specially constructed Respiratory Aerosol Sampling Chamber which suggest that coughing, thought previously to be the main means of spreading TB, might not be the primary driver of TB transmission. Instead, tidal or regular breathing may be a far more significant contributor to the aerosolization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria.