What is tuberculosis (TB)?

Tuberculosis (simply called TB) is an infectious disease caused by a bacteria. TB mainly affects the lungs but can attack any part of the body.

Like the common cold, TB spreads through the air. Only people who are sick with TB in their lungs are infectious. When infectious people cough, sneeze, talk, spit, laugh or sing they let out the TB germ into the air. If a healthy uninfected person inhales air containing the TB they can become infected themselves.

Infection with TB generally occurs during close contact over a period of time with someone with TB disease.

Who can get TB?

Anyone can get TB. It strikes people of all races, ages and income levels.

The following factors are associated with a higher risk of becoming infected:

• close contact with people with active TB disease
• HIV infection
• poverty
• malnutrition
• homelessness.

What are the symptoms of TB?

A person with TB in their lungs may have any, all or none of the following symptoms:

• persistent cough
• weight loss
• fever
• loss of appetite
• tiredness
• night sweats
• shortness of breath
• coughing up blood.

A person with TB in another organ of the body may have the following general symptoms:

• weight loss
• fever
• night sweats.

Other symptoms will depend on the organ or organs affected, and might include for example:

• swelling of the lymph nodes
• joint pain and swelling
• headache, fever, neck stiffness and drowsiness due to TB meningitis.

Who should be tested for TB?

People should be tested for TB if:

• they have spent time with someone who is known or thought to have infectious TB disease
• they were born in or frequently travel to countries where TB is common
• they live or are employed in a large group setting where TB is more common, such as a homeless shelter, prison or nursing home
• they are a health care worker who cares for patients with TB disease
• they are living with HIV; or they are a child who may have been in contact with someone with TB disease, children, especially those under 5, have a higher risk of developing TB disease once infected and it is therefore very important to test for TB infection in children who may have been in contact with someone with TB disease.

What is the treatment for TB?

TB disease is curable and can be treated by a combination of antibiotics.