Tuberculosis has been present in humans since antiquity. This wide-spread disease has plagued history as far back as 4000 BC. More commonly known as the “White Death,” its horrific reality unleashes life-threatening symptoms that affect the lungs with signs of violent coughing, chest pain, and coughing up blood. Though this deadly disease may have traumatic connotations that infected hordes of people dating back to the early 1900’s, today it is on the comeback trail with a wicked vengeance infecting up to one-third of the world’s population.
In 1905, Robert Koch, German microbiologist and researcher, received the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his untiring work in the discovery of the tubercle bacillus. This captivating documentary is the first of its kind to track the historical evolution, showcase the destruction, and unravel the science behind this deadly disease. Even before the Industrial Revolution, tuberculosis was regarded as vampirism. People with TB often showed symptoms such as red, swollen eyes, pale skin and coughing blood, suggesting the idea that the only way for the afflicted to replenish this loss of blood was by sucking blood. Along with dramatic re-enactments of Robert Koch at his lab in Berlin as well as visually stimulating animations analyzing this disastrous strain, a modern-day investigation will highlight the plight of this world-wide disease, and where it stands today.
