|  | Conditions Treatments | Illness

Tuberculosis Vs. Flu

Both tuberculosis and influenza (flu) are medical problems that affect the lungs. Both conditions can cause complications that can be fatal, though this outcome is unlikely.

  1. Causes

    • Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium and is spread through the air. The flu is caused by an influenza virus and is spread when someone has contact with a person infected with the flu or with something an infected person has coughed or sneezed on.

    Symptoms

    • Weight loss, coughing, fever and chest pain are symptoms of tuberculosis. Flu symptoms include fever, fatigue, coughing, muscle aches and sometimes nausea or vomiting.

    Diagnosis

    • Tuberculosis is diagnosed through skin or blood tests and X-rays or CT scans of the chest. Doctors can test for the flu by taking a culture of mucus or saliva.

    Treatment

    • Medications are used to treat tuberculosis and flu; examples are ethambutol (Myambutol) for tuberculosis and oseltamivir (Tamiflu) for flu.

    Considerations

    • People who work in populated places such as nursing homes or prisons should be screened for tuberculosis regularly and should receive the flu vaccine, since they are at a higher risk than others for contracting either condition.

Illness - Related Articles