TB screening in university students

Despite being curable and preventable, TB is one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases and is a leading cause of death worldwide.¹ In 2014, an estimate 9.6 million people developed TB, with 1.5 million deaths.¹

TB is caused by the tubercle bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is spread through inhaling droplets from the cough of someone with infectious TB in their lungs.²

When exposed, most people’s immune systems will eradicate the bacteria. A small percentage will develop active TB weeks or months after initial exposure. However, some people will be infected, but their immune system keeps M tuberculosis dormant and does not eradicate it.³ This is latent TB, which does not cause any symptoms and cannot infect others. People can live with latent TB for years, but 5–10% will eventually develop active TB when their immune system is weakened and unable to suppress the bacteria.^1,2