How is tuberculosis spread?

How is tuberculosis spread?

• A. Through blood transfusion
• B. Through contaminated surfaces
• C. Through the air from the lungs of someone who coughs, sneezes, or speaks
• D. Through contaminated water

Answer: (C)

Tuberculosis spreads through the air via tiny droplets that are released when a person with active pulmonary TB coughs, sneezes, or talks. These droplets break into even smaller particles, called droplet nuclei, that can linger in the air and be inhaled by someone nearby. If enough bacteria reach the lungs, infection can occur. This is why the option describing airborne transmission is correct. TB is not typically spread through blood transfusions, contaminated surfaces, or water, so those pathways aren’t how the disease is transmitted. In settings like correctional facilities, controlling TB focuses on ventilation, respiratory precautions, and prompt identification and treatment to prevent airborne spread.

Tuberculosis spreads through the air via tiny droplets that are released when a person with active pulmonary TB coughs, sneezes, or talks. These droplets break into even smaller particles, called droplet nuclei, that can linger in the air and be inhaled by someone nearby. If enough bacteria reach the lungs, infection can occur.

This is why the option describing airborne transmission is correct. TB is not typically spread through blood transfusions, contaminated surfaces, or water, so those pathways aren’t how the disease is transmitted. In settings like correctional facilities, controlling TB focuses on ventilation, respiratory precautions, and prompt identification and treatment to prevent airborne spread.