What type of organism cause TB?
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the organism that is the causative agent for Tuberculosis (TB). M.tuberculosis organisms are also sometimes called “bacilli”. Other atypical mycobacteria exist, such as M.avium, M.intracellularae, M.kansasii, M.xenopi and M.fortuitum. These may appear to produce similar clinical and pathological appearance of the disease, this is because they all belong to the same family of mycobaterial organisms. Most infections with these organisms are believed to arise from the environmental exposure to organisms; infected water, soil, dust or aerosols. Person to person and animal to animal transmissions of atypical mycobacterium is not an important factor in acquisition of infection with the organisms.
How is TB transmitted?
Tuberculosis is an airborne disease. A person with the infection of TB in their lungs, or larynx, can release droplets when the cough, sneeze, talk or even breathe. The droplets contain the organism mycobacterium tuberculosis, the organism which causes the infection and are called droplet nuclei. If these droplet nuclei are inhaled by an uninfected person, who shares the same airspace as the infected person, he/she will be infected. A single droplet is sufficient enough to cause the disease.