Tuberculosis Specialists in Nirvi, Pune, Maharashtra

Tuberculosis is a serious bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that most commonly affects the lungs but can also spread to other organs incl…

What is Tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is a serious bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that most commonly affects the lungs but can also spread to other organs including the kidneys, spine, and brain. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks, making it highly transmissible in close-contact settings. The infection can remain dormant for years as latent TB without causing symptoms, or progress to active disease that causes significant lung damage if untreated. India carries one of the highest burdens of tuberculosis in the world.

Severity

Severe

Prevalence

Common in India — India accounts for roughly a quarter of the world's TB cases

Contagious

Yes

Causes of Tuberculosis

Caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, spread through airborne droplets from an infected person with active pulmonary disease. Risk factors include close contact with an infected individual, a weakened immune system such as from HIV, malnutrition, diabetes, overcrowded living conditions, and substance abuse.

Symptoms of Tuberculosis

Persistent cough lasting more than three weeks, coughing up blood or sputum, chest pain, unexplained weight loss, night sweats, fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, chills

Treatment & Types of Tuberculosis in Nirvi, Pune, Maharashtra

Treatment requires a prolonged course of multiple antibiotics, typically for six months or longer, to fully eradicate the bacteria and prevent drug resistance. Directly observed therapy is often used to ensure adherence, and drug-resistant strains require longer, more complex treatment regimens with second-line medications.

Tuberculosis exists as latent TB, where the bacteria remain dormant without causing symptoms or being contagious, and active TB, where the bacteria are multiplying and causing illness with the potential to spread to others; active disease is further described as pulmonary, affecting the lungs and being the most common and contagious form, or extrapulmonary, spreading to other organs including the kidneys, spine, or brain. Active TB is also classified as drug-sensitive or drug-resistant, the latter requiring longer, more complex treatment regimens with second-line medications.

Infectious Diseases Specialists in Nirvi, Pune, Maharashtra (0)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone with latent TB infect other people?

No, latent TB causes no symptoms and cannot be spread to others, since the bacteria remain dormant, but it can progress to active, contagious disease later, particularly if the immune system weakens, which is why latent TB is still treated preventively in high-risk individuals. This preventive treatment stops the infection from ever becoming active.

Is tuberculosis curable?

Yes, it is both preventable and curable with a prolonged course of multiple antibiotics, typically for six months or longer, and completing the full treatment is essential to fully eradicate the bacteria and prevent drug resistance. Directly observed therapy is often used to help ensure the complete course is finished.

Why does India have such a high burden of TB?

India carries one of the highest burdens of tuberculosis in the world, driven by factors including crowded living conditions, malnutrition, and gaps in access to prompt diagnosis and treatment, though rates are declining under national control programmes. This is why TB remains a major public health priority in the country despite being both preventable and curable.

Can TB affect parts of the body other than the lungs?

Yes, extrapulmonary TB can spread to other organs including the kidneys, spine, and brain, though pulmonary TB affecting the lungs remains the most common and most contagious form. Symptoms and treatment approach can vary depending on which organ system is involved.

What increases the risk of latent TB becoming active disease?

HIV infection, diabetes, malnutrition, smoking, and other conditions that weaken the immune system all increase the risk of progression from latent to active disease. Managing these underlying conditions and completing preventive treatment for latent TB when recommended both help reduce this risk.

Learn more about Tuberculosis (symptoms, causes, treatment)

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