EPIDEMIOLOGY OF TUBERCULOSIS 1
Epidemiology of Tuberculosis
Raveena Vaid
University of Washington Tacoma
EPIDEMIOLOGY OF TUBERCULOSIS 2
Epidemiology of Tuberculosis (TB)
Introduction
Tuberculosis (TB) is a severe infectious disease that primarily affects the lungs. TB is an
airborne disease that can be transmitted from one person to another. The TB germs are passed via
cough, sneeze or spit which carry the TB causing bacterium into the air. Through inhaling of the
germ in the air, a person is likely to be ill. According to the World Health Organization (WHO),
TB is among the top diseases that cause death globally. Again TB causes most death of HIV-
positive people. TB is caused by bacteria known as (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), and the
condition can be cured or prevented.
Morbidity and mortality
Morbidity is the condition of being ill while mortality is the death rate or the number of
