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Tuberculosis is a chronic bacterial infection caused by a germ called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that is spread through the air when a person with the disease coughs or sneezes. A person may become infected with TB when they breathe the air droplets from the person who is sick with the disease. The disease commonly infects the lungs but can infect other parts of the body including the spine, brain or kidney. Below are the characteristics of TB infection and TB disease.

Latent TB Infection

Not everyone who becomes infected with tuberculosis becomes sick with the disease itself. This is because the body's immune system is able to keep the number of TB germs low enough to prevent the active disease from developing. The infection at this point is called latent TB infection.

• No symptoms (don't feel sick)
• Cannot spread the infection to others
• Diagnosed with a positive TB skin test or a positive interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) test
• Up to 10% can develop into active TB disease
• Treatment (More)

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  Understanding Tuberculosis

  Tuberculosis Information Tuberculosis Dietary Tips for Tuberculosis Patients Difference Between Latent TB Infection and Active TB (Centers for Disease Control) Pulmonary Tuberculosis Questions and Answers About TB (Centers for Disease Control) Tuberculosis - Video Tuberculosis - Tutorial Tuberculosis - General Information (Centers for Disease Control) Tuberculosis - Get the Facts! (Centers for Disease Control)

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  Commonly Asked Questions

  Can Drinking Alcohol Impair My TB Treatment? Can Tuberculosis Be Cured, Recur, or Cause Cancer? Did I Have an Abnormal Reaction to the PPD Test Does Fluid in the Lungs Mean I Have TB? How Serious is Brain TB? Can it Be Treated? If My PPD Test is Negative, Why Am I Having a Reaction? Is it Possible to Have TB in the Kidneys and Not in the Lungs? Is this a Recurrence of TB? Living with Someone with Tuberculosis What is a Lung Infiltrate? (More)

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  Additional Information

  Symptoms and Tests Treatment Complications The Body

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