A persistent cough that lasts for two or more weeks and is accompanied by chest pain could be a cause of worry. These symptoms could point to tuberculosis (TB), which is a contagious infection that affects the lungs. In very severe cases, the disease may also spread to the brain and spine.

It is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and spreads through tiny drops that are released into the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Back in the 20th century, tuberculosis was the main cause of death in the country, but with the development of powerful antibiotic medicines, most cases of tuberculosis can now be cured.

Causes of tuberculosis
Being a bacterial infection, tuberculosis has many different strains of bacteria causing the disease. A number of strains of the disease are resistant to the medicines used for treating it. People affected with the disease may require several months or even years to be completely free from it.

Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which spreads from an infected person’s cough or sneezes. When an infected person coughs, sneezes, spits, speaks, sings, or even laughs, the chances of the bacteria being expelled are high. Most people get infected due to long-term or regular exposure to a person affected by the disease. The only medium this disease spreads through is from a person infected by it and has not received any treatment. Typically, the disease is no longer contagious in people affected by active TB but have taken medication for 3 weeks or more.

Symptoms of tuberculosis
Although affected by TB, the immune system of a person fights against the disease and prevents the person from falling sick. There are two types of TB, which are latent TB and active TB. In the case of latent TB, the bacterium has entered the body but is inactive and does not cause any symptoms; this type of TB is not contagious. Active TB, on the other hand, is highly contagious and shows signs and symptoms of sickness.

Symptoms of active tuberculosis are:

• A persistent cough that lasts 3 weeks or more
• Coughing up blood
• Pain in the chest while breathing or coughing
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Unexplained weight loss
• Night sweats
• Chills
• Loss of appetite

TB can also affect other parts of the body such as the kidneys, brain, and spine. When it affects these organs, there may be additional symptoms depending on which organ is affected. For example, if it affects the kidneys, there may be blood in the urine.

Conclusion
At one time, tuberculosis was a rare disease in developed countries. However, this disease has been on the rise since the 1980s due to the emergence of diseases such as HIV. People affected with HIV have a weakened immune system, which is easily susceptible to infections like tuberculosis. The country has been implementing stringent preventive measures against the disease since the 1990s, which has helped in containing its spread and creating awareness.