Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This can cause infection in your lungs or other tissues. It commonly affects your lungs, but it can also affect other organs like your spine, brain or kidneys. The word “tuberculosis” comes from a Latin word for “nodule” or something that sticks out.

When the bacterium that causes TB, does not experience symptoms. This condition is known as latent TB. TB can stay dormant for years before developing into active TB disease.

Active TB typically causes many symptoms. While symptoms usually relate to the respiratory system, they could affect other parts of the body, depending on where the TB bacteria grow.

Tuberculosis can spread when a person with the illness coughs, sneezes or sings. This can put tiny droplets with the germs into the air. Another person can then breathe in the droplets, and the germs enter the lungs.

Tuberculosis spreads easily where people gather in crowds or where people live in crowded conditions. People with HIV/AIDS and other people with weakened immune systems have a higher risk of catching tuberculosis than people with typical immune systems.

Antibiotics can treat tuberculosis. But some forms of the bacteria no longer respond well to treatments. Read the symptoms, stages, causes, risk factors, complications, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis: https://medmichihealthcare.com/what-is-tuberculosis/