Tuberculosis is a highly contagious disease typically affecting the lungs that is caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium. It can be active and contagious or latent and non-contagious. Symptoms of active TB include fever, chills, weight loss, and coughing up sputum or blood. TB is generally detected via a skin test and treated with a multi-month course of antibiotics, though it cannot be fully cured.

1. By: Amanda Harper
Class: Medical Office Technology
Module 4

2. Tuberculosis is a highly contagious disease that
typically attacks the lungs, but can also become
present in other parts of the body.
Tuberculosis can be either active, or latent.
Active TB is contagious, while latent TB is not.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis

3. Tuberculosis is caused by various strains of
mycobacteria.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the main culprit in most
common cases of TB, it can even withstand weak
disinfectants, and survive in a dry state for weeks.
It flourishes in the mammalian respiratory system due
to the high levels of oxygen, which it needs to survive.
This is why it typically attacks the lungs.

4. The symptoms of tuberculosis can sometimes be
difficult to recognize. General signs and symptoms
include fever, chills, weight loss, night sweat, fatigue,
and loss of appetite.
Pulmonary tuberculosis (in the lungs) can cause
symptoms such as chest pain, a hard cough, coughing
up sputum, and possibly coughing up blood.

5. TB is generally detected by a skin test, in which a small about of
tuberculin is injected beneath the skin, and then the resulting
reaction is measured a few days later.

6. • Tuberculosis is generally spread by coming in contact with
someone who is carrying active tuberculosis.
When someone carrying active pulmonary TB coughs, spits,
sings, sneezes, or even speak, they expel infectious aerosol
droplets into the air.
• A single sneeze can release up to 40,000 infectious droplets,
and each of these droplets has the potential to spread the
disease. It can take less than 10 inhaled bacteria to become
infected with TB. A single person with active TB that goes
untreated can infect an estimated 10-15 additional people
each year.

7. Tuberculosis cannot be totally cured, but rather suppressed by rounds of
antibiotics. TB can be very resistant to treatments and antibiotics can take
several months.
New cases of TB are treated with a 6 month round of two different
antibiotics, while recurring TB can require four different types of antibiotics
and up to 24 months of continuous use.