AEGiS-Miami Herald: 5 things you didn't know about tuberculosis

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

5 things you didn't know about tuberculosis

Miami Herald - June 26, 2007
Jodi Mailander Farrell, jmailander@MiamiHerald.com

1 How you get it: When an Atlanta man honeymooned in Europe in May while infected with TB, it set off an international health scare. This disease is spread when people with TB in their lungs or throat cough, laugh, sneeze, sing or even talk, but it's not easy to become infected. Repeated contact is usually necessary in closed spaces over a long period. Transmission in an airplane, although rare, has been documented, according to the American Lung Association.

2 Symptoms: It's possible not to have any symptoms, but a person with TB may have a cough lasting three weeks or longer, fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, fever, coughing up blood, night sweats or chest pain. If you think you have been exposed, get a TB skin test.

3 Who's at risk: People with HIV; people in close contact with TB-infected people; diabetics; people who work or live in nursing homes, prisons and other long-term care facilities; healthcare workers; people who are malnourished; and alcoholics. Smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day also increases the risk.

4 Latent vs. active: Many people infected with TB bacteria don't develop TB because their immune systems protect them; the bacteria becomes inactive, but remains alive in the body and can become active later. This is called latent TB and it's not contagious. Someone with active TB, on the other hand, needs to see a doctor right away and can spread the disease to others.

5 It's on the rise: More than one-third of the world's population has TB bacteria and new infections are occurring at the rate of one per second, says the World Health Organization. Drug-resistant strains have emerged and are spreading, but new vaccines are in development.

070626
MH070610

Copyright © 2007 - Miami Herald. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Miami Herald, Permissions, One Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132-1693 TEL: (305) 376-3719. http://www.herald.com.

AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2007. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2007. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .