IN THE late 19th century, tuberculosis (TB) killed one out of every seven people living in the United States and Europe.
On March 24, 1882, Dr. Robert Koch announced the discovery of the TB bacillus.
At the time, his discovery was the most important step taken towards the control and elimination of this deadly disease.
TB remains a threat to the health and well-being of people around the world.
Among infectious diseases, TB remains the second leading killer of adults in the world, with more than 2 million TB-related deaths each year.
WHAT IS TB?
Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria called mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs.
But, TB bacteria can attack any part of the body, such as the kidney, spine, and brain. If not treated properly, TB disease can be fatal. TB disease was once the leading cause of death in the U.S.
However, not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. People who are not sick have what is called latent TB infection.
People who have latent TB infection do not feel sick, do not have any symptoms, and cannot spread TB to others. But, some people with latent TB infection go on to get TB disease.
People with active TB disease can be treated and cured if they seek medical help.
Even better, people with latent TB infection can take medicine so that they will not develop active TB disease.
HOW IS TB SPREAD?
TB is spread through the air from one person to another. The bacteria are put into the air when a person with active TB disease of the lungs or throat coughs or sneezes.
People nearby may breathe in these bacteria and become infected.
When a person breathes in TB bacteria, the bacteria can settle in the lungs and begin to grow.
From there, they can move through the blood to other parts of the body, such as the kidney, spine, and brain.
TB in the lungs or throat can be infectious. This means that the bacteria can be spread to other people.
TB in other parts of the body, such as the kidney or spine, is usually not infectious.
People with active TB disease are most likely to spread it to people they spend time with every day.
This includes family members, friends, and co-workers.
