What is tuberculosis?

What is the average life expectancy of a person living with LTBI (Latent Tuberculosis Infection)?

• What is the average life expectancy of someone who has had latent tuberculosis infection since they were two years old and as a result has had active tuberculosis disease? What is the life expectancy if the person with LTBI doesn't take their medicine after having an active TB disease?

• Answer:

  That's a very hard question to answer! People with Tuberculosis get REALLY sick anywhere between weeks and years later - but most eventually do, and can die of it. One problem is if a person gets another disease, the combo is really deadly. Another problem is the TYPE of TB, some strains of the bacteria are resistant to almost all the drugs we have, so it is better to wait a little bit if it means you will take ALL your Meds ALL the time! At the beginning of the 1900s, TB was pretty common in the US, and alot of people died. Then the government put alot of money into Public Health and it became rare here, but was growing everywhere else in the world. Then Pres Ronald Reagan really hurt the Public Health System, so now it has been increasing in the US ever since. Generally with most infectious diseases, the longer you wait, the longer and harder the treatment will be, and less likely to work. Also, especially with TB, the longer you wait, the more you can give it to others!!! Good Luck!