What is the main cause of tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a bacterium 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.
What are the three causes of tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria that spread from person to person through microscopic droplets released into the air. This can happen when someone with the untreated, active form of tuberculosis coughs, speaks, sneezes, spits, laughs or sings.
How does TB cause disease?
When a person gets active TB disease, it means TB bacteria are multiplying and attacking the lung(s) or other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, bones, kidney, brain, spine and even the skin. From the lungs, TB bacteria move through the blood or lymphatic system to different parts of the body.
What bacteria causes pulmonary tuberculosis?
Pulmonary TB is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M tuberculosis). TB is contagious. This means the bacteria are easily spread from an infected person to someone else. You can get TB by breathing in air droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person.
What are the risk factors and causes of TB?
The risk factors for acquiring TB include close-contact situations, alcohol and IV drug abuse, and certain diseases (for example, diabetes, cancer, and HIV) and occupations (for example, health-care workers).
Where did tuberculosis come from?
tuberculosis was originated in East Africa about 3 million years ago. A growing pool of evidence suggests that the current strains of M. tuberculosis is originated from a common ancestor around 20,000 – 15,000 years ago.
What causes TB in lungs?
Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a type of bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It’s spread when a person with active TB disease in their lungs coughs or sneezes and someone else inhales the expelled droplets, which contain TB bacteria.
What is the difference between tuberculosis and pulmonary tuberculosis?
The bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis causes tuberculosis (TB), a contagious, airborne infection that destroys body tissue. Pulmonary TB occurs when M. tuberculosis primarily attacks the lungs. However, it can spread from there to other organs.
Who is susceptible TB?
Persons who have been Recently Infected with TB Bacteria Persons who have immigrated from areas of the world with high rates of TB. Children less than 5 years of age who have a positive TB test. Groups with high rates of TB transmission, such as homeless persons, injection drug users, and persons with HIV infection.
Who invented tuberculosis?
On March 24, 1882, Dr. Robert Koch announced the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis (TB).
How does TB cause death?
Fungal infection, especially aspergilloma, is a common secondary infection of late sequelae of pulmonary tuberculosis. We investigated forty-two cases of aspergilloma as late sequelae of pulmonary tuberculosis, and of those 15 patients died. The causes of death were pneumonia and respiratory failure.
What are the symptoms of tuberculosis outside the lungs?
Chest pain, or pain with breathing or coughing. Unintentional weight loss. Fatigue. Fever. Night sweats. Chills. Loss of appetite. Tuberculosis can also affect other parts of your body, including the kidneys, spine or brain. When TB occurs outside your lungs, signs and symptoms vary according to the organs involved.
Is it possible to catch tuberculosis from a stranger?
Although tuberculosis is contagious, it’s not easy to catch. You’re much more likely to get tuberculosis from someone you live with or work with than from a stranger. Most people with active TB who’ve had appropriate drug treatment for at least two weeks are no longer contagious.
Why is tuberculosis still a concern in the United States?
HIV weakens a person’s immune system so it can’t fight the TB germs. In the United States, because of stronger control programs, tuberculosis began to decrease again in 1993, but remains a concern. Many strains of tuberculosis resist the drugs most used to treat the disease.
How does tuberculosis affect other parts of the body?
Tuberculosis can also affect other parts of your body, including the kidneys, spine or brain. When TB occurs outside your lungs, signs and symptoms vary according to the organs involved. For example, tuberculosis of the spine might cause back pain, and tuberculosis in your kidneys might cause blood in your urine.