Tuberculosis Summary Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but they can also damage other parts of the body. TB spreads through the air when a person with TB of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, or talks. If you have been exposed, you should go to your doctor for tests. You are more likely to get TB if you have a weak immune system. Symptoms of TB in the lungs may include A bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer Weight loss Loss of appetite Coughing up blood or mucus Weakness or fatigue Fever Night sweats Skin tests, blood tests, x-rays, and other tests can tell if you have TB. If not treated properly, TB can be deadly. You can usually cure active TB by taking several medicines for a long period of time. NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Encyclopedia ACE blood test Chest x-ray Gastric culture Hemoglobinuria test Mediastinoscopy with biopsy Mycobacterial culture Open pleural biopsy Pleural fluid culture Pleural needle biopsy Routine sputum culture Scrofula Sputum stain for mycobacteria Synovial biopsy Thoracic CT Array Acid-fast stain Coughing up blood Disseminated tuberculosis Meningitis – tuberculous PPD skin test Pulmonary tuberculosis Taking medicines to treat tuberculosis Diagnosis and Tests AFB (Acid-Fast Bacillus) Smear and Culture American Association for Clinical Chemistry TB Screening Tests American Association for Clinical Chemistry Testing for TB Infection Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuberculin Skin Testing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention What Is a Chest X Ray? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Find an Expert American Lung Association American Lung Association Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Prevention and Risk Factors BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guerin) Vaccine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuberculosis Prevention National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Tuberculosis National Institutes of Health Specifics Difference Between Latent TB Infection and Active TB Disease Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR TB) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention What is Multidrug and Extensively Drug Resistant TB? American Lung Association Treatments and Therapies First-Line Treatment for Tuberculosis (TB), Drug Resistant TB — A Visual Tour National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Staying on Track with TB Medicine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Treatment: Latent TB Infection (LTBI) and TB Disease Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuberculosis (TB): Treatment National Jewish Health Statistics and Research HIV-Associated TB: Facts 2013 World Health Organization NCHHSTP Atlas Centers for Disease Control and Prevention State Profiles: HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention TB in Correctional Facilities Is a Public Health Concern Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuberculosis (TB) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Tuberculosis and Diabetes World Health Organization Tuberculosis Data and Statistics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuberculosis in Blacks Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuberculosis in Hispanics/Latinos Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Start Here Learn About Tuberculosis American Lung Association Questions and Answers about TB Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuberculosis (TB) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Tuberculosis: Getting Healthy, Staying Healthy National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Living With Living with Tuberculosis American Lung Association Patient Handouts Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR TB) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuberculosis Facts – Exposure to TB Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuberculosis Facts – TB Can Be Treated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuberculosis Facts – Testing for TB Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuberculosis Facts – You Can Prevent TB Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuberculosis: General Information Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Related Issues Mycobacterium bovis (Bovine Tuberculosis) in Humans Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuberculosis AIDS.gov Tuberculosis Information for International Travelers Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuberculosis: The Connection between TB and HIV (the AIDS Virus) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Journal Articles Latent tuberculosis Multidrug resistant tuberculosis Tuberculosis Children TB in Children in the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Tuberculosis (For Parents) Nemours Foundation Reference Desk TB Terms Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Teenagers Tuberculosis Nemours Foundation Women Tuberculosis and Pregnancy Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Symptoms Tuberculosis: Learn the Signs and Symptoms of TB Disease Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Latest News Tuberculosis Decline in U.S. Has Stalled, CDC Reports HealthDay
