What is TB?

Tuberculosis (abbreviated as TB for Tubercle Bacillus) is a common and deadly infectious disease caused by the mycobacterium, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis or Mycobacterium bovis, which most commonly affects the lungs (pulmonary TB) but can also affect the central nervous system, lymphatic system, circulatory system, genitourinary system, bones, joints and even the skin. Over one-third of the world’s population now has the TB bacterium in their bodies & new infections are occurring at a rate of one per second. Not everyone who is infected develops the disease and asymptomatic latent TB infection is most common. However, one in ten latent infections will progress to active TB disease, which, if left untreated, will kill more than half of its victims. A rising number of people in developed world contract tuberculosis because their immune systems are compromised by immunosuppressive drugs, substance abuse, or due to HIV/AIDS. The rise in HIV infection levels and the neglect of TB control programs have caused a resurgence of tuberculosis.