How is Hansen's disease related to tuberculosis?

Riverside Health System

Mycobacterium leprae, the bacillus that causes Hansen's disease, belongs to the same bacterial family as M. tuberculosis, the bacillus that causes tuberculosis. As a result of this relationship, the National Hansen's Disease Program conducts extramurally-funded research on tuberculosis.
This answer is based on source information from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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Tuberculosis (TB)

Tuberculosis is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the lungs that can be spread through the air when a person speaks, coughs or sneezes. Also known as TB, symptoms of tuberculosis include fever, fatigue, chest pain and a severe, chronic cough. There are different types of TB, including active tuberculosis, and meningeal and milary TB, and doctors can screen for each of these types using the tuberculin skin test or the Mantoux test. Treatment of tuberculosis usually involves several types of antibiotics, and in rare cases, surgery.

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