What is tuberculosis?

Also known as: TB.

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that primarily affects the lungs but can also impact other parts of the body. A live vaccine is available to prevent the illness, but it is typically no longer given in the United States because of many reasons. Its effectiveness is controversial and most experts believe that at most the vaccine helps reducing the complications of TB rather than its more common form (lung disease).

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Reviewed by: P. Marcelo Laufer, MD

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM