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Type I interferons (IFN), best known for their anti-viral functions, have been shown to impair host resistance to intracellular bacteria in mice. However, the precise role of type I IFN signaling in bacterial infection in humans is unclear. Here, we show that genetic variation in the human IFNAR1 gene is associated with decreased susceptibility to tuberculosis and an increased risk of viral hepatitis in Chinese populations. Receptor mutagenesis and cell signaling studies establish that the IFNAR1 mutation corresponding to a proline deletion in the hinge region of the membrane-proximal domain of IFNAR1 decreases the binding affinity of IFNAR1 to IFN-β, impeding type I IFN signaling. Our findings suggest that IFNAR1 signaling underlies an increased risk of tuberculosis in humans and reveals a function for the IFNAR1 inter-domain region in cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction and signal transduction.