Tuberculosis of the lungs

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Tuberculosis of the lungs

Tuberculosis is a contagious bacterial disease that starts in the lungs, but may spread to other organs. Tuberculosis may develop after inhaling infected droplets sprayed into the air from a cough or sneeze of someone infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Review Date: 12/26/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Senior Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.

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