Tuberculosis is a deadly infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that affects two billion people worldwide. It spreads through droplets in the air and is contagious but not easy to contract. Symptoms include coughing, fatigue, weight loss, and fever. Certain groups are at greater risk, and there is a simple test to determine infection.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The disease typically attacks the infected person’s lungs, but it can attack other parts of the body as well. Considered one of the deadliest diseases of our time, tuberculosis affects an estimated two billion people worldwide.
This disease is transmitted from person to person through droplets in the air. When an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks or spits, droplets containing the tuberculosis bacteria are expelled. If another person inhales even a small number of these droplets, they could become infected.
Although this disease is contagious, it is not very easy to contract. Transmission of the disease usually requires repeated contact. In most cases, a person has to be near an infected individual for some time to get TB. Because of this, the disease spreads more easily among friends, family members, and roommates. Also, a person is at greater risk of infection when in close contact with an infected individual.
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An individual may be infected with tuberculosis, but may not have the disease. In fact, most people don’t actually develop TB, thanks to the protection of their immune system. A large number of TB cases are actually the result of the reactivation of old dormant infections.
Symptoms of TB disease include persistent cough, fatigue, weight loss, poor appetite, night sweats, fever, and coughing up blood. Individuals simply infected with this disease usually show no symptoms. On the other hand, individuals with the disease may have all, some, or none of the symptoms.
While it’s true that any individual can be infected with tuberculosis, there are certain groups of people who are at greater risk of becoming infected. People infected with HIV, people in close contact with individuals with TB disease, and people from countries with high TB rates are at greatest risk. Also at high risk are individuals with certain medical conditions, IV drug users, certain types of health care workers, prison guards, and some racial and ethnic minorities. The homeless are also at greater risk.
There is a very simple test to determine whether or not a person has been infected with this disease. Currently, the Mantoux test is considered the optimal choice for tuberculosis testing. If the TB test result is positive, a doctor typically follows up with further tests, such as x-rays and evaluations of the mucous membranes, to determine whether or not the infected individual has TB disease.
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