Tuberculosis (TB) is a fairly dangerous bacterial infection that usually involves the lungs, although it may also be present in other organs. Tshitshikeni TB is caused by infection by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is spread by air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. This infection can lie dormant for years but can also become an active disease if the immune system has become weakened or compromised in some manner. It can affect any person; however, it is more common in people with weak immune systems, those who live in overcrowded conditions, or those who are suffering from other chronic diseases such as HIV. It also commonly occurs in developing countries where the standard of health care is poor. Those in close contact with TB cases, or living in areas where the rates of TB are high, have an increased risk of acquiring the disease. The chief cause of TB infection is exposure to the bacteria by droplets spread into the air by a person suffering from active TB. The risk multiplies in conditions where individuals are physically quite close to the infected person, specifically those working and/or living in confined or badly ventilated spaces. Added factors are bad nutrition, living conditions, and socio-economic conditions, which increase the rate of susceptibility; yet the benefits of treating the disease far outweigh. If it is identified at an early stage and treated appropriately, TB is very treatable. It usually needs an antibiotic course for several months. The treatment of TB means infection cure, its transmission prevention to others, and thereby a reduction in the total burden of disease in the community. Successful TB treatment means improvement in health status and a return to normal life.
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