Tuberculosis: 2. History of the disease in Canada.

In the pre-chemotherapy era, tuberculosis (TB) was almost universal, affected young and old, presented a wide array of morbid effects and carried a high mortality rate. In the post-chemotherapy era, the epidemiology has changed, and the strategies for controlling TB have had to be refocused. The abrupt switch from sanatorium to outpatient care taught important lessons about compliance with drug treatment. This short history of TB will describe how the disease came to Canada, its effect on various population groups and what measures have been taken to control, prevent and treat it. For those who want to explore this subject more fully, several valuable publications are available.