Tuberculosis (TB) – a bacterial infection which once killed hundreds of people, and is on the increase again. It can occur in various body tissues. Only pulmonary TB can be transmitted by breathing in droplets from coughs and sneezes in the air.
Other forms of TB are not contagious.
Pulmonary TB is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M tuberculosis).
TB is contagious. This means the bacteria is easily spread from an infected person to someone else. You can get TB by breathing in air droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person.
Only pulmonary TB can be transmitted.