mycobacterial

Mycobacteria are a type of germ. There are many different kinds. The most common one causes tuberculosis. Another one causes leprosy. Still others cause infections that are called atypical mycobacterial infections. They aren't "typical" because they don't cause tuberculosis. But they can still harm people, especially people with other problems that affect their immunity, such as AIDS.

Sometimes you can have these infections with no symptoms at all. At other times, they can cause lung symptoms similar to tuberculosis:

• Cough
• Weight loss
• Coughing up blood or mucus
• Weakness or fatigue
• Fever and chills
• Night sweats
• Lack of appetite and weight loss

Medicines can treat these infections, but often more than one is needed to cure the infection.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial disease that usually attacks the lungs. But it can also attack other parts of the body, including the kidneys, spine, and brain.

Not everyone infected with TB bacteria (germs) becomes sick. So, there are two types of TB conditions:

• Latent TB infection, where the TB germs live in your body but don't make you sick.
• TB disease (active TB) where you get sick from the TB germs. TB disease can almost always be cured with antibiotics. But if it's not treated properly, it can be fatal.

TB is found in the U.S., but it is more common in certain other countries.

TB is caused by bacteria (germs) called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The germs spread from person to person through the air. People who have TB disease in their throat or lungs spread the germs in the air when they cough, sneeze, talk, or sing. If you breathe in the air that has the germs, you can get TB. TB is not spread by touching, kissing, or sharing food or dishes.

You're more likely to catch TB from people you live or work with than from people you see for shorter amounts of time.

Anyone who is near a person with TB disease can get infected with the germs. You are more likely to be near someone with TB disease if you:

• Were born in or often travel to countries where TB disease is common
• Are a health care worker
• Work or live in a place where TB is more common, such as shelters for people without homes, jails, and nursing homes

Certain people are more likely to get sick with TB disease after they get infected. They include people who:

• Have HIV
• Became infected with TB in the last 2 years
• Have other diseases, such as diabetes, that make it hard for your body to fight TB germs
• Have alcohol use disorder or inject illegal drugs
• Were not treated correctly for TB in the past
• Are under age 5
• Are an older adult

Most people who have TB germs in their bodies don't get sick with TB disease. Instead, they have latent TB infection. With a latent TB infection, you:

• Don't have symptoms
• Can't spread TB to others
• Could get sick with active TB disease in the future if your immune system becomes weak for another reason
• Need to take medicine to prevent getting sick with active TB disease in the future

If you have TB disease, the TB germs are active, meaning that they are growing (multiplying) inside your body and making you sick. If the TB is growing in your lungs or throat, you can spread the TB germs to other people. You can get sick with TB disease weeks to years after you're infected with TB germs.

With TB disease, your symptoms will depend on where the TB is growing in your body:

• General symptoms may include:
  • Chills and fever
  • Night sweats (heavy sweating during sleep)
  • Losing weight without trying
  • Loss of appetite
  • Weakness or fatigue
• Symptoms from TB disease in your lungs may include:
  • A cough that lasts longer than 3 weeks
  • Coughing up blood or sputum (a thick mucus from the lungs)
  • Chest pain

Your health care provider or your local health department can test you to find out if you have TB germs in your body. They will give you either a TB skin or blood test.

If your test shows that you have TB germs, you'll need to have other tests to see if the germs are actively growing:

• Tests for TB disease in the lungs usually include testing samples of your sputum and having chest x-rays.
• Tests for TB disease in other parts of your body may include tests of urine and tissue samples.

You may need a TB test if you have symptoms of TB disease or if you are at high risk because you are more likely to be near someone with TB disease.

The treatment for both latent TB infection and TB disease is antibiotics. To make sure you get rid of all the TB germs in your body, it's very important to follow the directions for taking your medicine.

If you don't follow the directions, the TB germs in your body could change and become antibiotic resistant. That means the medicine may stop working and your TB may become hard to cure.

• For latent TB infections, you usually take medicines for 3 to 9 months. Treatment helps make sure you don't get TB disease in the future.
• For active TB disease, you usually need to take medicines for 6 to 12 months. Treatment will almost always cure you if you take your pills the right way.
• For TB disease in your lungs or throat, you'll need to stay home for a few weeks, so you don't spread disease to other people. You can protect the people you live with by:
  • Covering your nose and mouth.
  • Opening windows when possible.
  • Not getting too close to them.

By following medical advice for TB testing and treatment, you can keep yourself healthy and help stop the spread of TB.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Bacteria are living things that have only one cell. Under a microscope, they look like balls, rods, or spirals. They are so small that a line of 1,000 could fit across a pencil eraser. Most types of don't make you sick. Many types are helpful. Some of them help to digest food, destroy disease-causing cells, and give the body needed vitamins. Bacteria are also used in making healthy foods like yogurt and cheese.

But infectious bacteria can make you ill. They reproduce quickly in your body. Many give off chemicals called toxins, which can damage tissue and make you sick. Examples of bacteria that cause infections include Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and E. coli.

Antibiotics are the usual treatment. When you take antibiotics, follow the directions carefully. Each time you take antibiotics, you increase the chances that bacteria in your body will learn to resist them causing antibiotic resistance. Later, you could get or spread an infection that those antibiotics cannot cure.

NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases