Tuberculosis is an ancient disease. Mummified remains of ancient Egyptians show evidence of tubercular disease, and the earliest documented case of tuberculosis spondylitis was written in Sanskrit dating back to 1500 BC. TB proved the scourge of humankind in the years preceding antitubercular drugs and the mortality from tubercular disease reached 60%. It is estimated that there are nine million people worldwide infected with the active form of TB and it is the direct cause of around two million deaths per year.