How common are Tuberculosis and its causes?
The TB full form is Tuberculosis, a contagious illness called tuberculosis that can infect your lungs or other tissues. The organs most frequently affected by it are the lungs, but they can also harm your spine, brain, or kidneys. The Latin root of the word “tuberculosis” means “nodule” or “anything that stands out.”
A second name for Tuberculosis is TB. Not everyone who contracts TB becomes ill, but if you do, you need to get treated. If you have the bacterium but no symptoms, you have latent tuberculosis, also known as dormant tuberculosis (also called latent TB). Although it may appear that TB has disappeared, it is dormant (sleeping) within your body.
What are the three kinds of TB?
If you have active tuberculosis or tuberculosis disease, you are infected, experience symptoms, and are spreadable (TB disease). These are the three stages of TB:
- Primary infection.
- Latent tuberculosis.
- Active tuberculosis disease.
The bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis is responsible for TB. The bacteria are airborne and typically affect the lungs, though they can also affect other body areas. TB is contagious, although it doesn’t spread quickly. To contract it, you typically need to be near an infectious person for an extended period.
How is TB Spread?
The TB full form is Tuberculosis, when a person with active TB disease coughs, sneezes, talks, sings, or even laughs, they might release bacteria into the air and transmit the disease. Only those with an active lung infection are contagious. Most people who inhale TB bacteria can combat it and prevent it from spreading.
These people have a latent TB infection because the bacterium inactivates. Up to 13 million Americans may have latent TB. Even if the bacteria are dormant, they are still present in the body and can later become active.