Tuberculosis or TB is a communicable disease that is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It has a long history and has been dated back to as far as ancient Egypt. It is considered a chronic disease and is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide.

Symptoms of TB include a bad cough for 3 weeks or more, pain in the chest and coughing up blood or sputum. Other symptoms include fatigue, loss or weight, loss of appetite, fever, chills and sweating at night.

Those with weak immune systems, medical conditions that weaken immune systems, recently infected with TB bacteria, or living in unhygienic conditions are at high risk for developing TB. Both adults and children are susceptible to TB. TB has three stages: primary infection, latent TB and active disease. TB is divided into two categories, pulmonary and extrapulmonary. However, TB is curable. It is treated with a standard six-month course of four drugs. According to an article titled ‘Tuberculosis’ on www.who.int, “Between 2000 and 2015, an estimated 49 million lives were saved through TB diagnosis and treatment.”

Several preventive measures are being taken worldwide to prevent the spread of TB. A vaccine called Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is widely used as a part of the childhood immunisation programme in many countries. It has been shown to provide children with excellent protection against TB. Educating people with TB about how to take their drugs and how not to pass on their infection to others is another important part of preventing the spread of TB.

The World Tuberculosis Day is observed on March 24 to build awareness regarding tuberculosis.

To know more about this disease, flip through the pages of this ClipBook.