The majority of people exposed to the bacteria do not immediately experience symptoms of tuberculosis. Instead, the infection can go through three stages:
- Primary tuberculosis infection This is when bacteria first enters your body. In many people it causes no symptoms, but others may have a fever or lung symptoms. Most people with healthy immune systems will not develop any symptoms of infection, but in some people the bacteria can grow and develop into active disease. Most primary TB infections are asymptomatic and followed by latent TB infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (4)
- Latent tuberculosis infection The bacteria is present in your body and can be detected through tests, but it is not active. During this stage, you don’t experience any symptoms and you can’t spread the disease to others, notes MedlinePlus. (5)
- Active disease Tuberculosis bacteria are active and multiplying. You will feel sick and be contagious. It is important to seek immediate treatment to avoid complications and infecting others. (5)
The vast majority of people don’t have a problem because the organism enters their body and is then processed by their immune system, explains Robert Amler, MDdean of the School of Health Sciences and Practice and vice president for government affairs at New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York.
Tuberculosis is more likely to enter the active phase in people who have acquired the infection recently (within the last two years). It is also more likely to be active in people with weakened immune systems due to malnutrition, old age, HIV infection, immunosuppressive medications, or in people who are taking medications. dialysis. (1.5,6)
Tuberculosis can also be caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium bovis, which lives in animals and can be transmitted to children who drink unpasteurized milk from infected cows. In the United States, cattle are tested for tuberculosis and most milk is pasteurized, the CDC notes. (7)
Many people with TB will not know they have it unless they are tested, because they will not have any symptoms of latent TB. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately a quarter of the world’s population suffers from latent tuberculosis. (8) This is why it is important to get tested if you think you have been exposed to TB.
Once TB becomes active, you will start to notice symptoms. But symptoms may not appear fully immediately. The first thing you may notice is a bad cough It doesn’t go away, nor does the chest pain. These symptoms are easy to ignore or mistake for another illness. It is therefore important to consult your doctor if you have already been diagnosed with latent TB or have recently been exposed to someone with active TB. (1,5,8)
THE symptoms of active tuberculosis include: (5,6,9)
- A general feeling of unease
- To cough
- Spitting blood or phlegm
- Chest pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Loss of weight and appetite
- Night sweats
- Intermittent fever
- Generalized aches and pains
- Fatigue
