Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It primarily affects the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, spine, and brain. TB spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, releasing tiny infectious particles.

Symptoms of TB can include coughing (sometimes with blood), chest pain, weakness or fatigue, weight loss, fever, night sweats, and loss of appetite. However, in latent TB infection, a person may have no symptoms and may not feel sick, but the bacteria remain inactive in the body.