Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that targets the lungs. It kills approximately 1.7 million people each year, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis; people with depressed or compromised immune systems are at greatest risk for contracting the disease. Because tuberculosis manifests easily in people with poor health, it's often accompanied by other chronic diseases. There are many diseases associated with tuberculosis.
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is a disease associated with tuberculosis. According to the World Health Organization, tuberculosis is one of the most common causes of HIV-related deaths around the world. In countries where HIV occurs with greater prevalence, up to 80 percent of people with tuberculosis also have HIV. It's believed that 30 percent of people infected with HIV around the world have a latent or hidden tuberculosis infection. In 2008, WHO estimated that there were 1.4 million new cases of tuberculosis among those already infected with HIV, and tuberculosis was responsible for 23 percent of all AIDS-related deaths.
Partners in Health--a non-profit health care organization founded by Dr. Paul Farmer--states that, in recent years, the tuberculosis epidemic has increased in severity alongside HIV/AIDS. People whose immune systems have been weakened by HIV are more susceptible to acquiring and dying from tuberculosis.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is a disease associated with tuberculosis. The Civista Medical Center--a not-for-profit integrated health center serving southern Maryland--states that certain lung diseases, including tuberculosis, elevate a person's risk for lung cancer. Lung cancer can develop in parts of the lung that are scarred from tuberculosis damage.
According to a 2009 study by Eric A. Engels and colleagues published in the "International Journal of Cancer," tuberculosis is an important risk factor for lung cancer in farmers in Xuanwei, China. The researchers state that tuberculosis may promote the development of lung cancer by creating localized lung or pulmonary inflammation and scarring, especially when a person is exposed to other carcinogens. The authors of this study also state that the possible association between tuberculosis and lung cancer emphasizes the need to develop and implement effective tuberculosis treatment plans, especially in developing nations.
Silicosis
Silicosis is a disease associated with tuberculosis. According to MedlinePlus, silicosis is a respiratory disease caused by inhaling silica dust; a person with silicosis has an elevated risk for developing tuberculosis. Silica may impair a person's immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis--the bacteria that's responsible for tuberculosis. Therefore, a person with silicosis should have skin tests to check for tuberculosis exposure, and if positively diagnosed, be treated with anti-tuberculosis drugs.
Chest X-rays are another way to track tuberculosis-related changes, as the lungs of an infected person will change in appearance over time. Common symptoms associated with silicosis include chronic coughing, shortness of breath, fever and weight loss.
