TB is spread through the saliva and sputum (mucus from the lungs) of a symptomatic person. When the person sneezes or coughs, tiny droplets of that person’s bodily fluids are ejected and can be inhaled by anyone nearby. In urban areas, like Mumbai, India (a city of more than 13 million people), overcrowding is a risk factor, making it easier for active TB be passed from person to person. However, it is important to remember that only someone with symptomatic TB can spread the disease!
Here, people walk through the Rafik Nagar slum in Mumbai, India, an impoverished area where a local NGO has set up free health clinics.
