Using the picture to talk with someone about how TB enters and can cause disease in the body:

• In this picture we’re going to look at how TB enters your body and how it can become either Latent (Sleeping) or Active TB.

• So TB is caused by a bacteria so small we can’t see it with our eyes. When someone who is contagious with TB coughs, the TB bacteria can get into the air. Another person can breathe the TB bacteria into their lungs.

• As you can see TB is spread from person to person but it’s important to remember that it’s no one’s fault. The best thing you can do is come for testing and get treated if you’re told you have TB.

• When it’s in your lungs, TB becomes either Latent (Sleeping) or Active TB. There are many reasons why TB might become Active or Sleeping in the body.

• Let’s look at Active first. So in Active TB, your body can’t control the TB bacteria and they start making you sick. The bacteria can damage your lungs and spread to different parts of the lung and even different parts of the body. This is also where you can cough up TB bacteria and they can spread to other people.

• Going back to look at Sleeping TB. In Sleeping TB, the person’s body is able to create a ‘wall’ around the bacteria which basically puts them to ‘sleep’ so they can’t harm the body. The TB bacteria can stay sleeping in your body for the rest of your life if you aren’t treated. The Sleeping TB bacteria can ‘wake up’ or break out of the wall at any point and become Active TB.