tuberculosis
Sign in to saveTuberculosis (TB) (RP: , ), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in which case it is known as inactive or latent tuberculosis. A small proportion of latent infections progress to active disease that, if left untreated, can be fatal. Typical symptoms of active TB are chronic cough with blood-containing mucus, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. In
AI overview
Tuberculosis is a contagious disease caused by bacteria that usually affects the lungs, though it can spread to other parts of the body, and while most people infected show no symptoms, a small proportion develop active disease that can be fatal if untreated. It matters because active tuberculosis causes serious symptoms like chronic cough, fever, and weight loss, and without treatment can kill infected people.
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Key facts
- Medical condition.name
- Tuberculosis
- Medical condition.image
- Tuberculosis-x-ray-1.jpg
- Medical condition.alt
- Chest X-ray of a person with advanced tuberculosis
- Medical condition.caption
- Chest X-ray of a person with advanced tuberculosis: Infection in both lungs is marked by white arrowheads, and the formation of a cavity is marked by black arrows.
- Medical condition.field
- Infectious disease, pulmonology
- Medical condition.synonyms
- Phthisis, phthisis pulmonalis, consumption, white death, great white plague
- Medical condition.symptoms
- Chronic cough, fever, cough with bloody mucus, weight loss. Latent TB infection is asymptomatic
- Medical condition.causes
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
- Medical condition.risks
- Immunodeficiency
- Medical condition.diagnosis
- CXR, microbial culture, TB skin test, interferon gamma release assay
Article
65 sectionsContents
- History
- Identification
- Development of treatments
- Drug-resistant tuberculosis
- Signs and symptoms
- Latent tuberculosis
- Pulmonary
- Extrapulmonary
- Causes
- Mycobacteria
- Transmission
- Risk factors
- Close contact
- Environmental factors
- Immunodeficiencies
- Pathogenesis
- Diagnosis
- Mantoux test
- Interferon-Gamma Release Assay
- Chest radiograph
- Microbiological studies
- Other tests
- Prevention
- Vaccines
- Airborne infection control
- Hierarchy of controls
- Special situations
- India: National TB Elimination Programme
- End TB Transmission Initiative (ETTi)
- Monitoring and evaluation
- Public health
- Worldwide campaigns
- Treatment
- Drug susceptible TB
- Drug-resistant TB (DR-TB)
- Adherence and support
- Prognosis
- Epidemiology
- At-risk groups
- Global trends
- Geographical epidemiology
- India
- Indonesia
- China
- Philippines
- Lesotho
- Society and culture
- Names
- Art and literature
- Folklore
- Law
- Stigma
- Global programs
- Research directions
- Diagnostics
- Treatment
- Vaccines
- Other areas of research
- Other animals
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Sources
- Further reading
- External links
Tuberculosis (TB) (RP: , ), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in which case it is known as inactive or latent tuberculosis. A small proportion of latent infections progress to active disease that, if left untreated, can be fatal. Typical symptoms of active TB are chronic cough with blood-containing mucus, fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Infection of other organs can cause a wide range of symptoms.
Tuberculosis is spread from one person to the next through the air when people who have active TB in their lungs cough, spit, speak, or sneeze. People with latent TB do not spread the disease. A latent infection is more likely to become active in those with weakened immune systems. There are two principal tests for TB: interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) of a blood sample, and the tuberculin skin test.