Tuberculosis is a term that encompasses various diseases caused by bacteria of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, including M. tuberculosis M. bovis M. africanum and other mycobacteria species( Kaneene & Thoen, 2004). Tuberculosis was considered a killer disease for centuries and it was one of the most contagious and dreaded diseases. It has been a scourge of mankind from time immemorial and is still an important public health problem in the developing and under-developed countries. In Africa, tuberculosis still ranks as a major human and animal disease. The emergence of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome has led to resurgence of tuberculosis in places where it had almost been eradicated. This paper traces the history of the occurrence, prevalence, epidemiology and epizootiology as well as the control of tuberculosis, with emphasis on Africa.