On the "cause" of tuberculosis

Abstract

In epidemiology, tuberculosis is currently considered to have multiple causes and "cause" is used for all secondary, aggravating and conditional factors in its pathogenesis. The tubercle bacillus is the cause of tuberculosis, and without it tuberculosis cannot occur. The failure to differentiate the cause from noncausative associated factors has wide and serious implications. It is retrogressive, scientifically inaccurate and to be avoided for the sake of logic and precision in scientific communication. Associated noncausative factors need to be classified according to their roles in the pathogenesis of the disease.