Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a significant human pathogen. This bacterium primarily causes pulmonary disease but can spread to involve any organ and manifest as acute, chronic, or latent infection. Tuberculosis is a global disease, but the disease burden disproportionately impacts low-income countries and vulnerable populations, including those who are homeless or unsheltered, incarcerated, or who use intravenous drugs. The financial burden of tubercular illness and treatment can consume livelihoods among these populations.
In high-income countries with a low prevalence of tuberculosis, public health interventions focus on detecting and treating patients with latent tuberculosis (TB) infection. Latent TB infection may reactivate to cause active and infectious TB disease that can spread throughout the population. Identification and characterization of individuals with latent TB infection and at risk of reactivation is imperative for public health but requires balancing the benefits of therapy with potential harms.
For a comprehensive discussion of the epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, histopathology, evaluation, and management of tuberculosis, please see StatPearls' companion topic,
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