Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which grows in straight or branching chains and has a unique waxy cell wall containing mycolic acid, making it acid-fast and weakly gram-positive. Risk factors for tuberculosis include overcrowding, malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, other immunocompromised states, chronic diseases, malignancy, genetic susceptibility, surgery, injection drug use, smoking, working or living in high-risk settings, and being an adult woman, older, or younger than 4 years old.

1. TUBERCULOSIS
By Mahdi Saleh

3. M. Tuberculosis
rods that grow in straight or
branching chains.
Mycobacteria have a
unique waxy cell wall
composed of unusual
glycolipids and lipids
including mycolic acid,
which makes them acid-
fast. They are weakly gram
positive.
Mycobacterium
tuberculosis

4. Risk Factor

5. Overcrowding and malnutrition

6. HIV and other
immunocompromised states

7. Chronic diseases

8. Malignancy

9. Genetic susceptibility

10. surgery

11. Injection drug users

12. Smoking

13. Personnel who work or live in
high-risk settings

14. Adult women

15. Older age

16. Children younger than 4 years
of age