The disease is most common in South-East Asia and is spread from person to person through the air when someone with active tuberculosis of the lungs or throat coughs or sneezes.

About 2billion people are infected with tuberculosis and more than 1.6million people die each year of the disease.

Germaine Chua is a research assistant with the Centenary Institute in Camperdown, which has Australia's largest research program into the disease.

Her research aims to help target medical interventions to those most at risk.

Ms Chua was born in Singapore and was vaccinated against the disease, although in Australia the vaccination is only given to those deemed at risk of infection.

Professor Warwick Britton, a clinician and researcher at the institute, said tuberculosis was a cunning disease.

``Disturbingly, multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis has evolved in recent years and now we even have extensively multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis a form of tuberculosis that is resistant to all of the known treatments,'' Professor Britton said.

The team is also investigating ways to improve the current vaccine, finding new vaccines and new targets for medications.