Editorial: Tuberculosis and Non-tuberculous Mycobacteria Infections: Control, Diagnosis and Treatment

Tuberculosis (TB), is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide (WHO). According to the last Global TB report from the World Health Organization, 10 million persons were estimated to have had TB in 2019 worldwide, causing about 1.6 million deaths. Tuberculosis has not only a dramatic impact on the quality of life for the patients, but also has raised many socio-economic issues at a community level, especially in medium and high burden regions, such as India, China, and Indonesia.
In 2014, WHO adopted the “End TB strategy” which aimed to reduce TB deaths by 90% between 2015 and 2030, to prevent new cases by 80% during the same period and to decrease the socio-economic impact of the disease at a family level. Even though tuberculosis global incidence has decreased significantly, efforts still need to be made to reach these goals.
Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), in contrast to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, are bacteria widely spread in the environment and can be found in a broad range of ecosystems such as soils and water, including drinking water systems. NTM are opportunistic pathogens associated with both pulmonary and extrapulmonary infections.
This Research Topic collected articles addressing: (i) TB and NTMs associated diseases, diagnostic, control, and public health, (ii) mycobacterial genomics, (iii) and antimycobacterial drugs and resistance.