Tuberculosis is not a hereditary disease. It is an infectious disease. Any person can get afflicted with TB. Whenever, a patient having active tuberculosis coughs or sneezes in an open manner, bacteria causing TB come out in the aerosol. This aerosol can infect any person who happens to inhale it.

The disease of TB spreads whenever, patients cough or sneeze without covering their faces or spit here and there. Hence, patients should always cover their faces while coughing or sneezing. One should not spit here and there and always use spittoon for coughing. At home also, patients should spit in a box which is covered by a lid. Before disposing off the sputum, it should be boiled. It is very important not to get scared or to hide the disease whenever someone develops the symptoms of TB.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a communicable disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. The bacterium usually attacks the lungs (pulmonary TB) but can attack almost any part of the body (extra-pulmonary TB) such as bones, joints, nervous system, and urinary track. TB was once known as the "White-plaque" and historically was the leading cause of death in the United States.

TB is spread in the air. When an untreated person with active TB disease in their lungs coughs, the germs are spread in the air. If a person breathes in the germ which causes TB, they MAY get infected with TB. However, it usually takes exposure over many days before the person becomes infected.

In recent years tuberculosis has become a major problem because of emergence of Drug Resistant Tuberculosis which does not respond to the usual antibiotic given for simple tuberculosis. The reason for drug resistance is irregular and incomplete treatment taken by the patients due to prolonged duration of treatment and the cost of medicines. It must be emphasised that this Drug Resistant tuberculosis is now on the increase.

You can find more information about TB by calling your local health department, or on the DSHS Tuberculosis Elimination Division website.

Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, slow-growing bacteria that thrive in areas of the body that are rich in blood and oxygen, such as the lungs.

If you have latent TB, you will not have symptoms unless the disease becomes active. Most people don't know that they have latent TB. Sometimes, when you are first infected, the disease is so mild you don't know you have it. This is also true for people with latent TB because they have no symptoms.

This and other statistical information regarding TB may be obtained by calling the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, TB Epidemiology Division, at 303-692-2638.

Bovine tuberculosis is a strain of TB that infects cattle, deer, and many other animals. It can also infect and cause illness in humans. Bovine TB, caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium bovis is very similar to the bacterium that usually causes TB in humans, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The two strains of bacteria are closely related and act the same once inside the body. In humans, both diseases are diagnosed and treated in the same way.

TB is spread through the air by a person suffering from TB. A single patient can infect 10 or more people in a year.