Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a <a href="/facts/Contagious_disease/x63nX34T">contagious disease</a> usually caused by <a href="/facts/Mycobacterium_tuberculosis/cbRjnhIQ">Mycobacterium tuberculosis</a> (MTB) <a href="/facts/Bacteria/wC8xSCsU">bacteria</a>. Tuberculosis generally affects the <a href="/facts/Lung/gTWXI6Fj">lungs</a>, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in which case it is known as inactive or <a href="/facts/Latent_tuberculosis/kutfaF18">latent tuberculosis</a>. A small proportion of latent infections progress to active disease that, if left untreated, can be fatal. Typical symptoms of active TB are chronic <a href="/facts/Cough/mqyhR6zj">cough</a> with <a href="/facts/Hemoptysis/TaMFrtx6">blood-containing</a> <a href="/facts/Sputum/gduT4NG3">mucus</a>, <a href="/facts/Fever/waVxR2Ac">fever</a>, <a href="/facts/Night_sweats/5pDaWsEF">night sweats</a>, and <a href="/facts/Weight_loss/DQE4cXw0">weight loss</a>. <a href="/facts/Infection/182XrncP">Infection</a> of other organs can cause a wide range of symptoms.
Tuberculosis is <a href="/facts/Human-to-human_transmission/L1XIzEXA">spread from one person to the next</a> <a href="/facts/Airborne_disease/hpm1oR83">through the air</a> when people who have active TB in their lungs cough, spit, speak, or <a href="/facts/Sneeze/Nxj3dJbc">sneeze</a>. People with latent TB do not spread the disease. A latent infection is more likely to become active in those with weakened <a href="/facts/Immunodeficiency/CIEujXmc">immune systems</a>. There are two principal <a href="/facts/Diagnosis_of_tuberculosis/E7LSvYPL">tests for TB</a>: interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) of a blood sample, and the <a href="/facts/Mantoux_test/bkmsTRYs">tuberculin skin test</a>.
Prevention of TB involves screening those at high risk, early detection and treatment of cases, and <a href="/facts/Vaccination/3SfpzPsd">vaccination</a> with the <a href="/facts/Bacillus_Calmette-Gu%C3%A9rin/1hG40pC8">bacillus Calmette-Guérin</a> (BCG) vaccine. Those at high risk include household, workplace, and social contacts of people with active TB. Treatment requires the use of multiple <a href="/facts/Antibiotic/sF1kIfxg">antibiotics</a> over a long period of time.
Tuberculosis has been present in humans since <a href="/facts/Ancient_history/P0fFQ8z5">ancient times</a>. In the 1800s, when it was known as consumption, it was responsible for an estimated quarter of all deaths in Europe. The incidence of TB decreased during the 20th century with improvement in sanitation and the introduction of drug treatments including antibiotics. However, since the 1980s, <a href="/facts/Antibiotic_resistance/jsbAywgx">antibiotic resistance</a> has become a growing problem, with increasing rates of <a href="/facts/Multi-drug-resistant_tuberculosis/cNBgP2jb">drug-resistant tuberculosis</a>. It is estimated that one quarter of the world's population have latent or active TB. In 2023, TB is estimated to have newly infected 10.8 million people and caused 1.25 million deaths, making it the leading <a href="/facts/List_of_causes_of_death_by_rate/KuqKAzeB">cause of death from an infectious disease</a>.

Tuberculosis open-in-new

Tuberculosis