Childhood tuberculosis

Childhood tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that primarily affects children’s lungs but can also involve other parts of the body. It spreads through airborne droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms can include persistent cough, fever, weight loss, fatigue, and night sweats. Many children may have a strong immune response that contains the infection, but some develop active disease. Diagnosis often involves medical tests such as a tuberculin skin test, chest X-rays, and sometimes laboratory analysis. Treatment involves a course of antibiotics over several months, which is usually effective in curing the infection.