Tuberculosis

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Games

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Women
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria usually attack the lungs, but they can also damage other parts of the body.

TB spreads through the air when a person with TB of the lungs or throat coughs, sneezes, or talks. If you have been exposed, you should go to your doctor for tests. You are more likely to get TB if you have a weak immune system.

Symptoms of TB in the lungs may include

• A bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Coughing up blood or mucus
• Weakness or fatigue
• Fever
• Night sweats

Skin tests, blood tests, x-rays, and other tests can tell if you have TB. If not treated properly, TB can be deadly. You can usually cure active TB by taking several medicines for a long period of time.

NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Start Here

• Learn About Tuberculosis (American Lung Association)
• Questions and Answers about TB (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Symptoms

• Tuberculosis: Learn the Signs and Symptoms of TB Disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• AFB (Acid-Fast Bacillus) Smear and Culture (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• Chest X-Ray (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
• TB Screening Tests (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• Testing for TB Infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Tuberculin Skin Testing (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guerin) Vaccine (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Staying on Track with TB Medicine (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
• Treatment: Latent TB Infection (LTBI) and TB Disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Tuberculosis (TB): Treatment (National Jewish Health)

Living With

• Living with Tuberculosis (American Lung Association)

Related Issues

• HIV and Tuberculosis (TB) (AIDSinfo) Also in Spanish
• Mycobacterium bovis (Bovine Tuberculosis) in Humans (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
• Tuberculosis Information for International Travelers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Tuberculosis: The Connection between TB and HIV (the AIDS Virus) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Specifics

• Difference Between Latent TB Infection and Active TB Disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
• Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR TB) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• What is Multidrug and Extensively Drug Resistant TB? (American Lung Association)

Games

• Play the Tuberculosis Game (Nobel Foundation)

Statistics and Research

• HIV-Associated TB: Facts 2013 (World Health Organization) - PDF
• NCHHSTP Atlas (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• State Profiles: HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• TB in Correctional Facilities Is a Public Health Concern (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Tuberculosis (TB) (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
• Tuberculosis and Diabetes (World Health Organization) - PDF
• Tuberculosis Data and Statistics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Tuberculosis in Blacks (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Tuberculosis in Hispanics/Latinos (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Tuberculosis (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Tuberculosis, war, and refugees: Spotlight on the Syrian humanitarian crisis.
• Article: Cost of Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment in Patients with HIV:...
• Article: Predictors of mortality in adults on treatment for human immunodeficiency...
• Tuberculosis -- see more articles
• Latent tuberculosis -- see more articles
• Multidrug resistant tuberculosis -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• TB Terms (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

• American Lung Association
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Children

• TB in Children in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Tuberculosis (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• Tuberculosis (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Women

• Tuberculosis Treatment and Pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Acid-fast stain (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Coughing up blood (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Disseminated tuberculosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Meningitis - tuberculous (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR TB) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
• PPD skin test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Pulmonary tuberculosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Taking medicines to treat tuberculosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Tuberculosis Facts - Exposure to TB (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
• Tuberculosis Facts - TB Can Be Treated (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
• Tuberculosis Facts - Testing for TB (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
• Tuberculosis Facts - You Can Prevent TB (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
• Tuberculosis: General Information (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF