Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
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The bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB). Mycobacterium tuberculosis usually infects the lungs, but it can also infect other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, spine, and brain. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is spread when a person with active TB (called TB disease) coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings, and a person nearby breathes in the bacteria.