Tuberculosis (TB)

Minority Women's Health > American Indians/Alaska Natives > Health Topics > Tuberculosis (TB)

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that can affect any part of your body, but it usually attacks your lungs. TB is spread through the air. If someone with TB of the lungs or throat coughs or sneezes, people nearby who breathe in the bacteria can get TB. If your body can't stop the bacteria from growing, you will develop TB disease. If this happens and the TB is in the lungs, it can cause these symptoms:

• a bad cough that won't go away (with blood or phlegm)
• chest pain
• fatigue (feeling very tired)
• weight loss
• loss of appetite
• chills
• fever
• night sweats

If you think you may have TB, see your doctor right away. TB can be treated and cured.

TB is a major problem for American Indians/Alaska Natives. In 2005, the TB rate in American Indian/Native Americans was about seven times higher than it was in whites.  And while the TB case rates for African Americans and Hispanic Americans/Latinas has decreased, American Indians/Alaska Natives experienced an increase in TB cases in 2006.

Publications

1.   American Indian Health - This web site is an information portal for and about the health of native peoples of the United States.

   http://americanindianhealth.nlm.nih.gov/

2.   Questions and Answers About TB (Tuberculosis) - This booklet gives thorough yet easy to understand explanations of Tuberculosis (TB), how it is spread, and discusses Latent TB Infection, and TB Disease, providing important information that patients need to know to prevent problems.

   http://www.cdc.gov/tb/faqs/default.htm

3.     Tuberculosis: Getting Healthy, Staying Healthy - This is an easy to read fact sheet about how to know if you have tuberculosis and how your doctor will diagnose and treat it.

   http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/tuberculosis/Understanding/PDF/TB.pdf

4. Native Americans/Alaska Natives and Lung Disease Fact Sheet (Copyright @ ALA) - This publication provides statistical information on smoking and lung disease among people identified as Native Americans/American Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, and Inuit.

   http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=2058817&co...

5. Tuberculosis Fact Sheet (Copyright © ALA) - This publication discusses the difference between TB infection and TB disease, symptoms of TB, modes of transmission, testing, and innovative treatment options.

   http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/s/content.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=34706&ct=67253

Organizations

1.   CDC National Prevention Information Network
2.   Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, NCHSTP, CDC, OPHS, HHS
3. American Association for Respiratory Care
4. American Lung Association

= Indicates Federal Resources

Current as of December 2007