Before the development of germ theory and antibiotic medication, Tuberculosis affected a large number of Americans across all socioeconomic strata. The disease developed different strains, but the most common strain is more slowly developing, earning it the label of “wasting disease.” As more Americans became infected, many sought treatments to mitigate the disease’s progression; one of the most popular and historically significant treatments being climate-related control of the disease. This interest in climate-based treatment heavily influenced westward migration and led to the establishment of urban population centers in the West such as: Los Angeles, Albuquerque, and Tuscan.
Once thought to be hereditary, the understanding of TB changed with the development of germ theory, which radically altered the treatment of the disease. This new theory shifted the focus of TB treatment research to antibiotic medication rather than climate-based isolation. Eventually, antibiotic medicine almost completely eradicated TB from the US. However, the HIV/AIDS epidemic caused a redux in the disease due to the former’s effects on the human immune system. More complex strains of TB evolved from this new epidemic, including the drug-resistant MDR and XDR strains. Tuberculosis has yet to be eradicated from humanity and the battle rages on in resource-poor countries in the world today.