Tuberculosis: What is it exactly?

 Tuberculosis, otherwise known as TB, is caused by a bacterium known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This bacteria typically infects the lungs, but it can also attack the kidney, brain, and spine. For more information, please visit www.cdc.gov/tb.

    How does TB spread? 

  Tuberculosis is spread through the air as one person with the bacteria breathes out, coughs, sneezes, or talks, infecting nearby people who breathe in the bacteria, (see Figure A). TB cannot spread by touching someone's skin, sharing drinks or food, or kissing.

                             Figure A: This figure demonstrates coughing and the spread of bacteria from one person to another. 

    What are the symptoms of TB? 
   
  Symptoms of TB can include weight loss, chills, fever, pain in the chest, a cough that last 3 weeks or longer, and weakness of the body, (Figure B).

                                          Figure B: This picture shows all symptoms of TB. 

    Are there different types of TB? 
  
  Yes, there are two TB-related conditions known as latent TB infection and TB disease. Latent TB infection is where the TB bacteria can live in the body but will not make you sick. TB disease, on the other hand, occurs when TB bacteria are active in the immune system, or when the body cannot stop them from growing. Those who have HIV infection are at a much higher risk for developing TB disease.

   What should I do if I want to get tested for TB? 

  If you want to be tested for tuberculosis, contact your local health provider or health department. From there they will determine if you should be tested for TB infection. Make sure you tell the doctor or nurse the time at which you think you may have been exposed to someone with tuberculosis. The tests performed include a TB skin test (Figure C) and TB blood tests.

                                         Figure C: This Doctor is performing a TB skin test on the patient. 
   How is TB treated?  

 If you are diagnosed with latent TB infection, your doctor may treat you to make sure you do not develop TB disease. This treatment reduces the risk that TB infection turns into TB disease. TB disease is treated for around 6-9 months, taking several drugs (Figure D). It is important to take the drugs, and to take them as the doctor prescribed. Stopping the treatment may cause the disease to become resistant, which then is harder to treat.

                                 Figure D: It is important to take all prescribed medications for tuberculosis. 


References: 
Tuberculosis (TB). (2012, March 13). Retrieved September 25, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/basics/default.htm

Tuberculosis: Treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved September 25, 2014, from http://udel.edu/~jsavina/tuberculosistreatment.html