What Causes Tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by a bacteria, usually the Mycobacterium tuberculosis, or M. tuberculosis. It mainly affects the lungs, though it can also affect other areas of the body. The disease is also called TB or consumption and was once so widespread it was known as the white plague. Though it is not as prevalent in Western countries as it used to be, TB is still a significant problem in third-world countries. What makes tuberculosis so dangerous is that it is fairly easy to catch. Continue reading to reveal how it spreads and the primary causes of TB now.

How TB Spreads

Whenever a person with tuberculosis coughs or sneezes, they propel millions of infectious bacteria into the air through droplets of moisture. Another person can breathe in the bacteria, which then travels to their lungs. The lungs try to fight the germ by encapsulating it in a formation called a tubercle. This gives the disease its name. Though the germs are incapacitated, as long as they are within the tubercle, the tubercle can break down over time and allow the germs to escape and multiply, causing the individual to become ill.

Keep reading to learn about the main culprit of this disease: Mycobacterium TB.

Mycobacterium Tuberculosis

Under a microscope, Mycobacterium tuberculosis is straight or has a slight curve. The bacteria cannot move by itself but must be transported through moisture droplets. Despite this, it is an unusually strong bacteria. Some medical experts claim that it is all but indestructible when it is in the body, even though it dies quickly when it is exposed to heat and light. It has a high-fat content and waxy walls that are probably caused by mycolic acid. This acid gives the bacteria its name. The walls around the bacteria allow it to reject Gram staining, which is a method that scientists use to identify certain bacteria. Tuberculosis bacteria are often seen in clumps, for their fat content allows them to stick to each other. M. tuberculosis grows very slowly compared to other bacteria. Its population doubles only once a day in the laboratory.

Next, discover the first type of TB that individuals should be aware of now.