Tuberculosis
- Medical Specialities
- Pulmonology & Chest Medicine
- Tuberculosis
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Tuberculosis (TB)
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Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection caused by a type of bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis that primarily affects the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body.
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TB germs often attack the lungs, but they can attack any region of the body, including the spine, brain and kidney. Not everyone infected with the tuberculosis bacterium becomes ill. As a result, there are two TB-related conditions: latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and TB illness. If not treated appropriately, tuberculosis can be lethal.
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Symptoms of tuberculosis include fever, weight loss, blood in cough, chest pain, weariness and night sweats. Many TB patients may not exhibit any symptoms depending on which organ is infected.
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Patients with current symptoms and a confirmed infection require anti-tuberculosis therapy that consists of several medications. For TB, antituberculosis treatment gives effective results.
