Eliminating Tuberculosis: Opportunity Knocks Twice

摘要

It is said that opportunity knocks only once, but when it comes to the opportunity to eliminate tuberculosis (TB) in the United States, we have been given a second chance. If the country now fails to seize this moment, the losses in terms of both health and economics are certain to be great. TB is an infectious disease caused primarily by a type of bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB is spread from person to person through the air, as someone with active TB of the respiratory tract coughs, sneezes, yells, or otherwise expels bacteria-laden droplets. When inhaled by another person, some of these invaders can go on to establish sites of infection in the lungs and even throughout the body.