HealthAugust 19, 2026

tuberculosis

too-BER-kyuh-LOH-sis

Definition

A serious, highly contagious bacterial disease that primarily affects the lungs.

Etymology

The word is derived from the Latin 'tuberculum', meaning 'small swelling' or 'bump', combined with the Greek suffix '-osis', denoting a diseased condition. It was adopted into medical terminology in the 19th century to describe the characteristic nodules that form in the tissues of infected individuals.

In the news

The article discusses a specific case of tuberculosis at an immigration detention center, emphasizing the facility's failure to provide health officials with the information required to manage the potential spread of the disease.

​Officials at ICE facility miss Colorado public health order deadline in tuberculosis case

Read the full article ↗

Colorado Newsline

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