If you’re like some people, you may have heard the word ‘Tuberculosis’ but might not understand exactly what it is. Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially serious infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs. The bacteria that cause this disease spreads from person to person through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes.
Once rare in developed countries, TB infections began increasing in 1985, partly because of the emergence of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. HIV weakens a person’s immune system, so it cannot fight the TB germs. In the United States, because of stronger control programs, tuberculosis began to decrease again in 1993. But it remains a concern.
Many tuberculosis strains resist the drugs most used to treat the disease. People with active TB must take many types of medications for months to get rid of the infection and prevent antibiotic resistance.
In this interview, we set out to understand this disease with Internist & Pulmonologist- Senior Medical Officer, National Chest Hospital, Dr. Terry Baker:
Tuberculosis can also affect other parts of your body, including the kidneys, spine or brain. When TB occurs outside your lungs, signs, and symptoms vary according to the organs involved. For example, tuberculosis of the spine might cause back pain, and tuberculosis in your kidneys might cause blood in your urine.
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