Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (once known as consumption) is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis that attacks the body, usually the lungs. The bacteria is spread through the air when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Tuberculosis was practically eradicated in the United States thanks to a vaccine, but in the past 20 years there have been a rise in cases due to decreased awareness about the necessity of vaccination. In other parts of the world, TB is still a major epidemic, infecting millions of people every year.