Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious illness that most commonly affects the lungs but

can affect any organ in the body. It can form when germs spread through air
droplets. Although tuberculosis can be lethal, it is often prevented and curable.

TB, often known as "consumption," was formerly a major cause of mortality all
across the world. Following improvements in living circumstances and the
introduction of antibiotics, the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) in developed
nations decreased substantially.

However, in the 1980sTrusted Source, numbers started to rise again. The World
Health Organization (WHO) describe it as an “epidemic.” They report that it is
among the top 10Trusted Source causes of death globally and “the leading cause
of death from a single infectious agent.”

The WHOTrusted Source estimate that in 2018, nearly 10 million people around
the world developed TB and 1.5 million people died from the disease, including
251,000 people who also had HIV.

A majority of the people affected were in Asia. However, TB remains a matter of

concern in many other areas, including the United States.

The same year, doctors reported 9,025 casesTrusted Source of TB in the U.S.,
according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Currently, antibiotic resistance is causing renewed concerns about TB among

experts. Some strains of the disease are not responding to the most effective
treatment options. In this case, TB is difficult to treat.

TB infection (latent TB)

A person might have tuberculosis germs in their body but not develop symptoms.
Most people's immune systems can keep germs at bay, preventing them from
reproducing and causing disease. In this situation, a person will be infected with
tuberculosis but will not have active illness.
Doctors refer to this as latent TB. A person may never experience symptoms and
be unaware that they have the infection. There is also no risk of passing on a
latent infection to another person. However, a person with latent TB still requires
treatment.

The CDC estimate that as many as 13 millionTrusted Source people in the U.S.
have latent TB.

TB disease (active TB)

The body may be unable to contain TB bacteria. This is more common when the
immune system is weakened due to illness or the use of certain medications.

When this happens, the bacteria can replicate and cause symptoms, resulting in
active TB. People with active TB can spread the infection.

Without medical intervention, TB becomes active in 5–10%Trusted Source of

people with the infection. In about 50% of these people, the progression occurs
within 2–5 years of getting the infection, according to the CDC