Although anyone, from kids to the elderly, can come into contact with the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the vast majority of people (about 90%) who are infected with this bacterium will eliminate it through the work of the immune system. However, some people (about 10%) who come into contact with M. tuberculosis cannot fully control the bacteria. These people can develop a disease called active tuberculosis (ATB), with fever, coughing, and weight loss. In these cases, M. tuberculosis makes its home within the lungs and can be transmitted to other people when the sick people expel the bacteria through coughing. In some people, another scenario occurs in which their immune system keeps the bacteria in a dormant or "sleeping" state. This is called latent TB. In these people, no fever, coughing, or weight loss will be apparent until their immune system stops working properly.

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