Tuberculosis is a common infectious disease caused by a type of bacteria called mycobacteria. The most common type of tuberculosis affects the lungs, but the disease has also been known to attack other parts of the body as well. Most tuberculosis infections are actually asymptomatic and more or less lie in wait for an opportunity to progress to an active disease process. Only about 10 percent of infections make this progression, but for those that do, if left untreated, there is more than a 50 percent fatality rate.

The symptoms of tuberculosis can include a chronic, severe cough, sputum with a reddish/pink bloody tinge, fever, sweating (most commonly at night), and rapid loss of weight (this symptom led to the disease at one point being nicknamed "consumption"). Definitive diagnosis of tuberculosis is done through a combination of chest x-rays, a tuberculin skin test, and a biological culture test of respiratory fluids. In the tuberculin skin test, a small amount of tuberculin is injected into the skin. If the person has been exposed to the mycobacteria, an immune response will occur, causing the area to become swollen. The skin test is considered a primary test. If the skin test comes back positive, further tests, including the chest x-ray and sputum cultures will be performed.

Treatment of tuberculosis is achieved most commonly through the use of various antibiotics to kill the bacteria. Because of the structure and cellular composition of mycobacteria, however, treatment can be quite lengthy and difficult. Active tuberculosis is usually treated with a combination of different antibiotics including rifampicin and isoniazid. Treatment can often take 6 to 24 months to see adequate results. There are some strains of tuberculosis that, over the years, have become resistant to antibiotic therapy. These strains are referred to as MDR (multi-drug resistant) or XDR (extensively drug-resistant) tuberculosis. These drug resistant strains are developing into a significant public health issue in many developing countries.

The key factor in dealing with a tuberculosis outbreak is prevention. For people with known infection, this would consist of contact tracing and testing. According to the Health Care Resources Guide, it is also important to perform routine testing on high-risk populations as well. There is a tuberculosis vaccine for children, called BCG, available. The World Health Organization lists it as the most common vaccine administered worldwide. Interestingly enough, however, it is not widely administered in the United States, since tuberculosis is somewhat uncommon.

It is a wise practice to request a tuberculin skin test periodically as part of a annual physical examination. If one develops any of the symptoms consistent with an active tuberculosis infection, it is crucial to get tested immediately and begin therapy as needed. Tuberculosis is a serious disease and is not to be taken lightly, but it does not equate to a death sentence if treated in a timely fashion.