26-b-2 Tuberculosis

• Library: A Jailhouse Lawyer's Manual (2020 Edition)

26-B-2. Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis ("TB") is a disease caused by bacteria that are spread through the air. When you breathe in the bacteria, they usually settle in and attack your lungs,¹⁴ but the bacteria can also move to and attack other parts of your body.¹⁵ Outside of prison, TB does not spread that easily. In prison, however, TB spreads much more easily because of overcrowding and poor ventilation.¹⁶ People born outside the United States (especially in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, or Russia) are also more likely to have been infected with the bacteria.¹⁷ Additionally, people who have spent time in places where TB is common, like homeless shelters, hospitals, and prisons, are also more likely to have a TB infection.¹⁸

It is important to know that being infected with the TB bacteria is not the same as having TB disease. If you have "TB infection" (latent TB), you will have no symptoms and you cannot spread TB to others. But if you do not get medical treatment, your TB infection can develop into "TB disease" (active TB).¹⁹ If you have active TB, you can have symptoms like a bad cough lasting more than three...