Understanding Tuberculosis and Immune Response

Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne disease spread when an infected person coughs, releasing bacteria into the air. These bacteria can be inhaled, traveling to the lungs where they multiply. The immune system responds by forming granulomas to contain the bacteria, resulting in latent TB. If the granulomas break, TB can progress to an active disease, potentially spreading to other body parts, causing extra pulmonary TB.

How is TB primarily spread from one person to another?

• Through contaminated food

• Through the air

• Through water

• Through direct contact with blood

What happens to TB bacteria once they are inhaled?

• They stay in the trachea

• They enter the bloodstream immediately

• They travel to the alveolar sacs in the lungs

• They are expelled out of the body

What is the role of macrophages in the immune response to TB bacteria?

• They destroy the bacteria immediately

• They surround the bacteria to form a granuloma

• They transport the bacteria to the liver

• They convert the bacteria into harmless substances

What is a granuloma?

• A symptom of TB disease

• A cluster of TB bacteria

• A type of lung infection

• A structure formed by the immune system to contain TB bacteria

How long does it typically take for a person to test positive for latent TB infection?

• 1-2 weeks

• 3-5 weeks

• 8-10 weeks

• 12-15 weeks

When does the progression from latent TB infection to TB disease occur?

• Immediately after infection

• Any of the above

• Many years later

• Not at all

What is pulmonary TB?

• TB that affects the liver

• TB that affects the lungs

• TB that affects the kidneys

• TB that affects the brain

What is extra pulmonary TB?

• TB that affects the digestive system

• TB that affects other parts of the body through the bloodstream

• TB that affects the skin

• TB that affects the lungs