Many people know tuberculosis, or TB for short, as the disease that killed Doc Holliday in the old Wyatt Earp western. But TB hasn’t disappeared entirely with old time shoot-outs and ghost towns. This fatal sidekick is still around today.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one third of the world’s population is infected with TB, and each year about two million people die from the disease. This opportunistic illness is the leading cause of death in HIV infected individuals. In the U.S., the CDC reported 3.8 cases of TB per 100,000 persons in 2009.
How Does Tuberculosis Spread?
Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These bacteria usually attack the lungs and are passed through the air when the sick person coughs, sneezes, sings or speaks. A person contracts TB by breathing in the airborne bacteria.
According to the CDC, TB cannot be contracted by shaking someone’s hand, kissing, or sharing food or drink.
The Difference Between Active and Latent TB
If a person does happen to become infected with tuberculosis, he or she may not get sick or even know they have it. Most people’s immune systems are strong enough to fight the infection and keep it from spreading. This is called a latent infection. The only way to even know a person has been infected is if they test positive to a TB skin or blood test. People with latent TB infections are not infectious to others.
TB disease, or active TB, occurs when the immune system is unable to keep the bacteria from multiplying in the body. Those with TB disease become ill and can spread the disease to others, especially people they spend a lot of time with. Many people with latent TB never develop the disease. Others get sick right away, and others don’t become sick until their immune system becomes compromised at a later date.
Risk Factors and Symptoms of Tuberculosis
Risk factors for TB include substance abuse, living in countries with a high TB rate, immunocompromising conditions (i.e. HIV, diabetes, organ transplant, severe kidney disease), and working with populations with a high TB rate (such as in homeless shelters or correctional facilities).
Symptoms of TB disease include a bad cough that lasts more than three weeks, chest pain, and coughing up blood or sputum. Additional signs include weakness/fatigue, fever and chills, night sweats, and weight loss or loss of appetite.
Testing Positive for TB
A TB vaccine exists, but it is not widely used in the United States. People who were born in a country where TB is more prevalent, such as in Latin America, may have received the TB vaccine and will test positive on a TB skin test. More tests will be needed to determine if they are indeed infected or if the positive test is a result of the vaccination. The vaccination does not necessarily protect against the disease.
In the case of a positive test TB, a chest X-ray and/or sputum sample may be taken to determine whether the TB is active or latent.
Treatment for TB
Latent TB is usually treated with medication that kills the TB bacteria in the body. Infected persons typically take the drug for nine months.
Active TB is treated with more aggressive drugs for six to 12 months. It is very important to take the medication as prescribed and to finish the entire regimen. Failure to do so can cause the TB bacteria to become resistant to the drugs used to treat it, which is a growing problem. When TB bacteria are found to be resistant to both first- and second-line treatments, patients are left with fewer and less effective treatment options.
Christy Swift - Christy Swift is a stay-at-home mom of two girls and a freelance writer. She has volunteered as a doula for young and underprivileged ...
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