HIV/AIDS Glossary

An infection caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis. Tuberculosis (TB) is spread when a person with active TB disease coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings, and then a person nearby breathes in the bacteria. TB usually affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body, such as the kidneys, spine, and brain. There are two forms of TB: latent TB and TB disease. In people with HIV, TB disease is considered an AIDS-defining condition.