Tuberculosis Causes

Tuberculosis (TB) is a life-threatening infectious disease which has plagued human beings for millennia.



TB is a contagious air-borne disease caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis. A weak immune system and a prolonged exposure to the disease is required to develop the symptoms of the disease which generally includes severe coughing, fevers and chills, weight loss and loss of appetite.

An infected person with active form of disease when coughs, sneezes, talks, laughs or signs can release microscopic droplets of mycobacterium tuberculosis in the air.



It is not that easy to catch the TB infection instantly although it is a contagious disease. In general to become infected yourself a long-term contact with some infected person is essential like a close co-worker or a family member rather than a stranger in a train or a restaurant. A person who is effectively treated for at least two weeks with nonresistant active TB generally is no longer contagious.



In rare cases, a pregnant woman with active TB can pass the bacteria to the fetus.

The leading tuberculosis cause is HIV virus which causes AIDS. Tuberculosis and HIV is a deadly combination where each infection leads to progress of the other. The main goal of HIV virus is to suppress the immune system; this makes the body difficult to suppress the TB bacteria. Thus it is more likely for a person with HIV to progress from a dormant to active stage of the disease and become a leading cause of death among people with AIDS. This is because the TB virus can significantly increase the rate at which the HIV virus replicates and moreover they are more susceptible to TB. Other causes for spread of this disease include –

• Crowded living conditions – TB virus is likely to spread in a poorly ventilated space, crowded and cramped areas.
• Lack of medical care and increased poverty – Poor population in most of the countries is most likely to get infected and least likely to get a medical care. People living in poverty tend to be unstable and migrate before receiving a complete medical treatment, often leading to a drug-resistant form of the disease.
  
  
  
  
• Increased TB strains – There is a specific TB strain for every TB medication that resists its treatment. A person with multidrug-resistant TB (resistant to two or more anti-TB drugs) is highly contagious and can spread this serious form of disease to others. Although a person with multidrug-resistant TB can be treated successfully, they require long-term medications.