Update on Tuberculosis

By Nina E. Karhinen, RDH, BSDH

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which are a pathogenic bacterial species of small, aerobic particles (Figure 1).¹ TB is spread through direct person-to-person contact via airborne transmission. Most commonly presenting as a pulmonary infection, the tubercle bacilli invade the lungs, multiply, and cause inflammation. Less commonly, extrapulmonary TB infection can spread through the circulatory or lymphatic systems to other parts of the body, such as lymph nodes, bones, urinary tract or genitals, brain, skin, or as generalized infection.² Individuals with active TB disease generally present with an acute cough persisting 3 weeks or longer, pain in the chest, hemoptysis (coughing up blood or sputum), weakness or fatigue, weight loss, no appetite, chills, fever, and night sweats.^1,2

* References can be found in the original article via the link below.
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