Tuberculosis Also called: TB

Tub[left]e[left]rculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but they can also damage other parts of the body.

TB spreads through the air when a person with TB of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, or talks. If you have been exposed, you should go to your doctor for tests. You are more likely to get TB if you have a weak immune system.

Symptoms of TB in the lungs may include

A bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer
Weight loss
Loss of appetite
Coughing up blood or mucus
Weakness or fatigue
Fever
Night sweats
Skin tests, blood tests, x-rays, and other tests can tell if you have TB. If not treated properly, TB can be deadly. You can usually cure active TB by taking several medicines for a long period of time.

NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Start Here
Learn About Tuberculosis (American Lung Association)
Questions and Answers about TB (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Also in Spanish
Symptoms
Tuberculosis: Learn the Signs and Symptoms of TB Disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Also in Spanish
Diagnosis and Tests
AFB (Acid-Fast Bacillus) Smear and Culture (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
Chest X-Ray From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Also in Spanish
TB Screening Tests (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
Testing for TB Infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Also in Spanish
Tuberculin Skin Testing (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Also in Spanish
Prevention and Risk Factors
BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guerin) Vaccine (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Also in Spanish
Treatments and Therapies
Staying on Track with TB Medicine (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
Treatment: Latent TB Infection (LTBI) and TB Disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Also in Spanish
Tuberculosis (TB): Treatment (National Jewish Health)
Living With
Living with Tuberculosis (American Lung Association)
Related Issues
HIV and Tuberculosis (TB) From the National Institutes of Health (AIDSinfo)
Also in Spanish
Mycobacterium bovis (Bovine Tuberculosis) in Humans (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
Tuberculosis Information for International Travelers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Also in Spanish
Tuberculosis: The Connection between TB and HIV (the AIDS Virus) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Specifics
Difference Between Latent TB Infection and Active TB Disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR TB) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Also in Spanish
What is Multidrug and Extensively Drug Resistant TB? (American Lung Association)