What is TB?

Tuberculosis is a preventable and curable disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Although the disease can affect the brain, kidney and spine, TB mainly affects the lungs. The disease is transmitted through droplets in the air when people infected with TB cough, sneeze or spit.

Those with latent TB have not yet experienced the symptoms of the disease; during this phase, the disease is not contagious. Conversely, active TB may entail symptoms of cough, fever, night sweats and weight loss. These symptoms may be mild for months, thereby delaying the seeking of care. During this time, an infected person may transmit the disease to up to 10 to 15 people they come into close contact with during the course of 1 year.

There is a 10% lifetime risk for people with TB to experience the symptoms of TB. Those with already weakened immune systems, such as HIV or diabetes, are at an increased risk of experiencing TB symptoms. The treatment course for active TB consists of 6 to 9 months of first-line treatment with isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol and pyrazinamide. TB can be fatal if it goes untreated.

The bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is often given to infants and small children in other countries where TB is common. It is not recommended that BCG be used in the US because it is not as effective in adults. Since 2000, more than 37 million lives have been saved through effective diagnosis and treatment.

Additional information may be found at these websites:

http://www.who.int/features/qa/08/en/

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/TBsymptoms/

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tuberculosis/basics/definition/con-20021761