Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis Disease

Tuberculosis, or TB, is a disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. The bacteria can attack any part of your body but typically attacks the lungs. TB spreads through the air from one person to another. The bacteria enter the air when someone with TB disease in the lungs or throat coughs or sneezes. People nearby may breathe in the bacteria and become infected.

TB disease kills more than any other microbial disease in the world. It's considered the world’s leading global health threat next to HIV disease. Around 10 to 15 million people in the U.S. are infected with TB. Roughly 10% of those people will develop TB disease.

Tuberculosis Symptoms

Symptoms of TB depend on where in the body the TB bacteria are growing. TB bacteria usually grow in the lungs. TB in the lungs may cause:

A bad cough that lasts longer than three weeks
Pain in the chest
Coughing up blood or sputum (phlegm from deep inside the lungs)

Other symptoms of TB disease are:

People with TB disease can be treated and cured if they seek prompt medical help. Please contact your doctor, local health department or the Department of Health and Senior Services with questions about latent TB infection or TB disease.

Latent Tuberculosis

People who become infected with TB bacteria usually have had very close, daily contact with someone who has TB disease (e.g. a family member, friend or close co-worker). You're not likely to get infected from someone coughing in line at a supermarket or at a restaurant. Dishes, drinking glasses, sheets or clothing do not spread TB. In most people who become infected, the body is able to fight the bacteria to stop them from growing. The bacteria become inactive but remains alive in the body and can become active later. This is called latent TB infection (LTBI).

People with latent TB infection:

Have no symptoms
Don't feel sick
Can't spread TB disease to others
Usually have a positive skin test reaction
Can develop TB disease later in life if they do not receive treatment for LTBI.

Many people who have latent TB infection never develop TB disease. The TB bacteria remain inactive for a lifetime without causing disease. But in other people, like who have weak immune systems, the bacteria becomes active and cause TB disease. People with LTBI can take medicine so that they will never develop TB disease.

High Risk Conditions for Tuberculosis

TB bacteria become active if the immune system can't stop it from growing. Some people develop TB disease soon after becoming infected, before their immune system can fight the TB bacteria. Other people may get sick later when their immune system becomes weak for some reason. Babies and young children, people infected with HIV, persons with chronic disease(s) and the elderly may have weaken immune systems. Other people can have weak immune systems, especially people with any of these conditions:

Substance abuse
Diabetes mellitus
Silicosis
Cancer of the head or neck
Leukemia or Hodgkin's disease
Severe kidney disease
Low body weight
Certain medical treatments (such as corticosteroid treatment or organ transplants)

Information for Providers

All U.S. healthcare personnel must complete TB screening upon placement to establish a baseline and reduce onsite TB transmission risks. Personnel are individually assessed for TB risk factors, evaluated for symptoms, undergo TB testing and receive annual symptom screenings.

Providers are encouraged to visit the Tuberculosis Case Management Manual for additional information.

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Tuberculosis Disease