TUBERCULOSIS (TB)

an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that typically affects the lungs, but may also occur in other organs (extrapulmonary TB). Transmission generally occurs through inhalation of aerosolized sputum droplets. A combination of 4 chemotherapeutic drugs is standard therapy. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is resistant to several standard drugs and requires more aggressive treatment.