A worldwide study has been victorious in making use of genome scanning to discover a gene that is linked with susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB) in African residents. The study was partially overseen by a Professor from University of Otago.

It is reported that Tuberculosis impinges on one-third of the global population, taking a toll on over two million people every year.

In the research, 333,000 genome sequence variants were scanned in over 11,000 people in the region of Africa. The study entailed providing DNA samples and bringing the cases under control.

Professor Philip Hill, University of Otago centre for International Health Director, supervised the study's division in Gambia, in West Africa. He said that genetics are said to be a significant factor in establishing whether somebody's contact with the bacteria M. tuberculosis would result in the contraction of the disease.

Hill said, "If you are closely related to a TB patient and have the same amount of exposure to M. tuberculosis as someone else with no such relatives, then over your lifetime you're more likely to develop TB disease than they are".

The study paved way for future research work, which might help in the unearthing of genetic variants that can lead to understanding the connection between human beings and the disease.