Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. While TB most commonly affects the lungs, it can affect nearly any part of the body, including the kidneys, spine, and brain.
TB is preventable and curable — but without treatment, it can be life-threatening. Globally, TB is one of the leading infectious disease killers, causing approximately 1.3 million deaths in 2022. TB is also the leading cause of death among people living with HIV.
TB is curable. With the right treatment and support, people with TB can and do recover fully. Organizations like Together Against TB exist to ensure that everyone has what they need to complete treatment.
Not everyone infected with TB bacteria becomes sick. There are two distinct stages.
TB spreads through the air when a person with active pulmonary TB coughs, sneezes, speaks, or sings. Tiny infectious droplets can linger in the air for hours. Prolonged, close contact is typically needed for transmission.
TB testing is recommended for anyone at higher risk — including close contacts of active TB cases, people living with HIV, and those born in high-burden countries. Testing options include a skin test (TST) or blood test (IGRA), followed by a chest X-ray and sputum culture if active disease is suspected.
TB is curable with antibiotics, but treatment is long — typically 6 months of combination therapy. It is essential to take every dose for the full duration; stopping early can cause drug resistance. Drug-resistant TB requires longer, more complex treatment. Latent TB can also be treated with shorter regimens to prevent future active disease.
TB treatment is long, demanding, and affects every part of a person's life — not just their health.
First-line TB antibiotics can cause nausea, liver toxicity, peripheral neuropathy, vision changes, joint pain, and skin rashes. These side effects can interfere with work, school, and day-to-day activities.
Sometimes people with active TB are required to isolate when starting TB treatment to reduce the chance of transmitting TB. Isolation can cut people off from income, support programs, and community at exactly the moment they need it most.
Anxiety, depression, and loneliness are common during months of treatment. People with TB may experience stigma from their community due to misunderstandings about the cause of TB.
The effects of treatment and periods of medical isolation can impact a family's income. Transportation, food, and basic essentials may become hard to access — turning a medical diagnosis into an economic crisis.
This is why Together Against TB exists. We provide care packages, emergency financial assistance, and community support to help people get through the full course of treatment — because finishing treatment isn't just a medical challenge, it's a social and economic one too.
California reports more TB cases than any other U.S. state. In 2025, the number of cases was the highest reported since 2013.
No one should face TB treatment alone. Together Against TB was founded because we saw our neighbors in San Francisco facing impossible choices during treatment — between rent and groceries, between medical appointments and other essentials. We're here to help bridge that gap.
If you think you or someone you know may have TB, contact a healthcare provider or your local health department right away. TB testing and treatment are free through public health programs in California.
Your donation provides care packages, emergency housing support, and community to Bay Area neighbors facing TB treatment.
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