What Is Tuberculosis?
TB is a contagious and often severe airborne disease caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) bacteria. TB typically affects the lungs, but it also can affect any other organ of the body. It is usually treated with a regimen of drugs taken for six months to two years depending on the type of infection.
For someone to develop active TB disease, the following two events must take place:
- The bacteria must enter the body, thereby causing an Mtb infection. This usually happens when a person breathes in Mtb-contaminated air, and the inhaled TB bacteria make their way to the lungs.
- The immune system cannot stop TB bacteria from growing and spreading after the initial infection.