Nathanson said that throughout the world, the percentage of people carrying the germ is much higher. One third of the world's population do have a latent infection but only ten percent of those cases will develop active TB during their lifetime. A person with latent TB infection does not show any signs of illness and cannot infect another person, but that person carrying the germ could develop TB disease later on. Those with active TB disease feel sick or weak or very tired. They cough frequently and develop fevers or sweat profusely while sleeping.
Weight loss is also a symptom.
If the infection is in the lungs or throat, it can be more easily spread by the droplets coughed or sneezed into the air by the victim. Nathanson says many factors have contributed to the TB epidemic in the former Soviet Union. Since tuberculosis is a disease of poverty, the major cause of this alarming increase is, of course, the socio-economic instability and the problems this region has had since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The movement of large numbers of refugees also gives rise to problems with TB, she said. TB is also a particular problem in prisons, Nathanson said.