A bacterial infection that usually affects the lungs and spreads through the air when an infected person coughs.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection that most often settles in the lungs, though it can affect other organs too. It spreads through the air when a person with active TB in their lungs coughs, sneezes or speaks, but importantly, not everyone who is exposed or even infected becomes sick — many people carry the bacteria in a dormant, non-infectious state for years without ever developing active disease.
Active TB disease develops when the immune system is unable to keep the dormant bacteria contained, which is more likely in people with weakened immunity, malnutrition, or prolonged close contact with someone who has untreated active TB. Crowded, poorly ventilated living or working spaces raise transmission risk considerably.
TB is treated with a combination of antibiotics taken over a course of several months — shorter courses are not effective and risk allowing drug-resistant strains to develop. Because the full course is long, our team supports patients through it with regular check-ins to confirm the treatment is working and being completed as prescribed.
See a doctor if: a cough persists beyond two weeks, especially with weight loss or night sweats.
