About Tuberculosis

What is Tuberculosis (TB)?

TB is a bacterial infection that attacks the lungs and other parts of the body. It can cause prolonged coughing, fever, fatigue, weight-loss, and may lead to death.

TB is a highly infectious disease which may spread through air or other means such as drinking infected milk.

Tuberculosis Infection can result in either active TB or latent TB inflection (LTBI). Having an active case of TB is when the bacteria begins to multiply in the body and cause symptoms. Most people who are exposed to TB develop LTBI. A latent infection can stay dormant for a lifetime. If you have LTBI it’s likely that you wouldn’t know if you’re not tested. LTBI has no symptoms and luckily is not contagious

For more information about Tuberculosis symptoms and modern treatment methods, please visit the Mayo Clinic’s Tuberculosis resource page.

Who does TB affect?

Tuberculosis can affect anyone and everyone in the world today. It is an ancient disease that has traveled to all populated continents.

In the United States, thanks to the efforts of Dr. Jordan and her colleagues, the spread of TB has been drastically reduced. However the battle is not over yet. According to the Centers for Disease Control 8,331 cases were reported last year [2023] all across the US. It is estimated that up to 13 million people in the United States are living with latent TB.

Tuberculosis is arguably the number one infectious disease in the world, causing millions of deaths each year.

Everything is Tuberculosis (Book)

Author John Green published a new book about tuberculosis called “Everything is Tuberculosis.” While the Kathleen Jordan Project is not affiliated with the book or John Green, we did enjoy reading it and learning even more about the history and present of this disease. For more information about his book, please visit John Green’s website.