Did You Know?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis, or TB, does not always limit its attacks to the lungs. While the World Health Organization notes that TB most often affects the lungs, the TB bacteria can actually attack any part of the body, including the kidneys, spine and brain. That’s just one of many facts about TB that may come as a surprise to people outside the medical community. Another eyebrow-raising fact about TB is that, according to the WHO, about 25 percent of the world’s population has latent TB. That means one-quarter of the global population has been infected by TB bacteria but is not yet ill with the disease and is incapable of transmitting it. While that may seem worrisome, it’s important to note that the WHO also points out that people infected with TB bacteria have between a 5 and 15 percent lifetime risk of falling ill with TB. Those with already compromised immune systems, including people living with HIV, tobacco users and people with diabetes, have a higher risk of falling ill with TB upon being infected with the TB bacteria.