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Tuberculosis, also called TB, is one of the world's deadliest diseases and has been affecting people for thousands of years. It's estimated that 2 billion people -- one third of the people in the world -- are infected with M. tuberculosis. Each year, nearly 9 million people in the world become sick with TB disease, and almost 1.5 million deaths are attributed to TB. While the number of TB cases in the United States has been declining since 1993, there remains a higher-than-normal burden of TB among racial and ethnic minorities. This is due to unequal distribution of TB risk factors that can increase the chance of developing the disease.
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The presence of the CDC logo and CDC content on this page should not be construed to imply endorsement by the US Government of any commercial products or services, or to replace the advice of a medical professional. The mark “CDC” is licensed under authority of the PHS.
Continue Learning about Tuberculosis (TB)
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 s...
evere, 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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