Tuberculosis Centre
of Research Excellence
For Patients
Tuberculosis
What Is Tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, although other types, like Mycobacterium bovis, can also cause TB in people. TB is the leading infectious cause of disease and death worldwide, with 10.6 million new cases and 1.3 million deaths reported in 2022. It primarily affects economically active adults, but children and adolescents are also significantly impacted, with over 1 million child cases and 250,000 deaths in 2022. TB is often transmitted within families and communities in high-burden areas.
What are the types of Tuberculosis?
There are two main types of tuberculosis: inactive (latent) TB and active TB disease.
Inactive (Latent) TB: In this state, the TB bacteria are present in the body but are not causing any symptoms. People with latent TB do not feel sick, cannot spread the bacteria to others, and may not even know they are infected. However, without treatment, latent TB can develop into active TB disease later on.
Active TB Disease: When the TB bacteria become active and begin to multiply, this results in active TB disease. People with active TB feel unwell and may show symptoms. They can also spread the bacteria to others. If left untreated, active TB can be fatal.