tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is an illness that mainly affects the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body. It's usually spread through the air when someone who has it coughs or sneezes.
When doctors talk about tuberculosis, they're often referring to a serious health problem that needs treatment. But in everyday life, you might hear people use the term in different ways. For example, if someone says "He's been diagnosed with TB," they mean he has tuberculosis and will need to take medicine for it. You might also see news stories about areas where TB is common or where public health officials are working to control outbreaks of the disease.
How common is "tuberculosis"?
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.
noun
An infectious disease of humans and animals caused by a species of mycobacterium, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis, mainly infecting the lungs where it causes tubercles characterized by the expectoration of mucus and sputum, fever, weight loss, and chest pain, and transmitted through inhalation or ingestion of bacteria.
Real examples of "tuberculosis" in context
