Top image from The Rockefeller University ; Bottom image from Shutterstock

In the early 20th century, tuberculosis (TB) was a widespread and devastating infectious disease, responsible for millions of deaths each year and representing a major public health crisis (WHO 2026). Caused by the bacterium, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, first identified in the 1880s by Robert Koch, the disease primarily affects the lungs and spreads through airborne transmission, making it highly contagious, especially in crowded or urban environments (Shaughnessy et al 2022).

Its severe and progressive nature led to it being commonly referred to as the dreaded “consumption,” as it slowly “consumed” the body until death (Shaughnessy et al 2022). Prior to the development of effective antibiotics, treatment options were limited and largely ineffective—such as the Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine, which contains a live, attenuated strain of M. tuberculosis (Shaughnessy et al 2022; Trajman et al 2025). Management often relied on long-term isolation, rest, and supportive care rather than pharmaceutical interventions (WHO 2026). As a result, TB was widely feared and frequently fatal, highlighting the urgent need for new medical treatments.

Today, TB still remains a leading cause of death globally, with the major symptoms presenting as a cough, fever, and weight loss (Trajman et al 2025).

After the initial identification of streptomycin, Feldman and Hinshaw evaluated it against TB in guinea pigs and found it to be the most effective therapeutic agent studied, leading to its widespread use in human treatment (Waksman 1944). In later years, streptomycin was classified as a broad-spectrum antibiotic that can inhibit the growth of a variety of bacteria, making it one of the most important antibacterial discoveries to date (Shaughnessy et al 2022). However, in the modern day, streptomycin is increasingly plagued by antibiotic resistant strains as pathogens continue to evolve with their host (Davies and Davies 2010).