Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This bacterium is transmitted through respiratory droplets from a person with active TB infection. A potentially fatal disease, TB can attack various organs in the body. TB is a communicable disease. It is possible to have what is called "active TB" and "latent TB." One in ten people who are exposed to TB develop active TB in their lifetime.
Latent Tuberculosis
Some people who are infected with the TB bacteria remain healthy and do not develop active disease. In this case, the TB remains dormant and the body is able to protect itself from developing the active disease. People with latent TB do not get sick and are not contagious. When a PPD, or a test for TB, on the skin is done, they will have a positive reaction. It is important that people who are at high risk for active TB disease are screened and that they are given the option of taking preventive medicine if indicated and recommended by their doctor.
Active Tuberculosis
People whose immune system cannot fight off the TB bacteria enable the bacteria to reproduce and develop active TB. This makes the person very sick and able to pass this disease to others. People with latent TB can develop active TB years after they are first exposed to TB. Some people that are exposed develop active TB within weeks of getting exposed. Some common symptoms of active pulmonary TB include night sweats, fever, coughing and blood in the sputum.
Multi-drug Resistant Tuberculosis
Drug resistant TB is an ongoing problem. Sometimes, patients do not take the full course of medicine, take the medicine incorrectly, or the doctor may prescribe the wrong medicine. This results in a TB infection that cannot be cured by medication that is used to treat TB. In Multi-drug Resistant TB, the TB is resistant to two commonly used TB drugs. This results in difficulty when trying to treat patients and can result in a deadly TB infection for the patient that is infected.
