What is TB?
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the Bacillus Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. It typically affects the lungs (pulmonary TB) but can affect other sites as well (extrapulmonary TB). The disease is spread in the air when people who are sick with pulmonary TB cough or sneeze.
Symptoms of TB
- Coughing with sputum or blood
- A bad cough that lasts 3 weeks or longer
- Weakness or tiredness of the body
- Weight loss
- Fever
- Night sweats
- Pain in the chest
- No appetite
TB is NOT Spread by
- Shaking someone’s hand
- Sharing food or drink
- Touching bed linens or toilet seats
The effects of the disease
Make it hard to work, or lead an active life.
Treatment of TB
TB is a treatable and curable disease. Active, drug-sensitive TB disease is treated with a standard six-month course of 4 antimicrobial drugs that are provided with information, supervision and support to the patient by a health worker or trained volunteer. Without such supervision and support, treatment adherence can be difficult and the disease can spread.
For more information go to https://www.gov.za/world-tb-day-2015