Tuberculosis: What You Need to Know

May 30, 2007 — -- This week, a man infected with tuberculosis who took two trans-Atlantic flights against his doctor's orders sparked global concern, highlighting the challenges associated with detecting and containing this potentially deadly disease.

Caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, TB is spread through the air from person to person. In most cases, it is treatable with a course of medications.

But an increasing presence of drug-resistant strains — such as in this case — underscores the need for heightened efforts in containing the disease.

Doctors say that everyone from health workers to air travelers is potentially at risk of TB. But they say the best way to ensure your health is to know how the disease is transmitted, and to seek help immediately if you suspect that you have been infected.

According to a report released by the World Health Organization in March, it appears that the rate of TB infection worldwide stabilized in 2005. However, the actual number of people who suffer from the disease is still on the rise worldwide.

There were an estimated 8.8 million new TB cases in 2005, 7.4 million of which were in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Most recent figures from the WHO suggest that a total of 1.6 million people worldwide died of TB in 2005. At this rate, nearly 4,500 people die from the disease every day.

Though TB is less prevalent in industrialized countries, it is not just a disease of the developing world. Around 14,000 U.S. cases were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2005.

In addition to those with active tuberculosis, an estimated 10 million to 15 million people in the United States are thought to have "latent" TB, which shows no symptoms or signs of infection. It is thought that about 10 percent of these infected individuals will develop active tuberculosis at some point in their lives.

On average, disease researchers say, it takes eight hours of contact with someone who has TB to become infected.