Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections do not have symptoms, known as latent tuberculosis. read more
The most common location of infection is in the lungs and is manifested by cough with sputum, low grade fever and weight loss. TB can spread to other organs too if left untreated. Chest xray, serologic testing or sputum culture are means to diagnose. read more
Tuberculosis (TB) is extremely common worldwide, but not in the United States. Experts suspect one out of every three people in the world is infected with TB. Over 95% of deaths from TB occur in developing countries. read more