Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Causes
• Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is caused by the
bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.
tuberculosis). You can get TB by breathing in air
droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected
person. This is called primary TB.
The following people are at higher risk for active TB:
• Elderly
• Infants
• People with weakened immune systems, for
example due to AIDS, chemotherapy, or
antirejection medicines given after an organ
transplant
Your risk of contracting TB increases if you:
• Are in frequent contact with people who have the
disease
• Have poor nutrition
• Live in crowded or unsanitary living conditions
• Tuberculosis Classification System
Symptoms
The primary stage of the disease usually doesn't
cause symptoms. When symptoms of
pulmonary TB occur, they may include:
• Cough of two weeks or more
• Fever
• Chest or recurrent blood-streaked sputum
• Significant weight loss, sweating, fatigue, body
malaise, and shortness of breath
Mode of Transmission:
• airborne droplets
• direct invasion through mucous membranes or
breaks in the skin may occur, but extremely
rare
• ingestion of unpasteurized milk or other dairy
products from infected cattle with bovine
tuberculosis
Exams and Tests
Tuberculosis Diagnosis
• The doctor will complete the following tests to diagnose
tuberculosis. You may not be hospitalized for either the
initial tests or the beginning of treatment.
• Chest X-ray: The most common diagnostic test that
leads to the suspicion of infection is a chest X-ray.
– In primary TB, an X-ray will show an abnormality in the mid
and lower lung fields, and lymph nodes may be enlarged.