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What is tuberculosis?

  Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that can affect any part of the body, but most commonly affects the lungs 10 2 .   TB can be fatal if left untreated 2 .   Here are the answers to your questions: What are the causes and risk factors of tuberculosis? TB is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis 10 .   It spreads from person to person through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks, or sings 2 .   Anyone can get TB, but some people are at higher risk, including those with weakened immune systems, such as people living with HIV, those with diabetes, and people who smoke 3 12 . What are the symptoms of tuberculosis? The symptoms of TB depend on where in the body the bacteria are growing 7 .   TB usually affects the lungs, and symptoms can include a bad cough that lasts for more than three weeks, pain in the chest, coughing up blood or sputum, fatigue, weight loss, chills, fever, and night swe...