TB and HIV-AIDS

HIV lowers an individual's immunity against infection. If a patient is or becomes infected with TB, the infection will more often become active than if he had a normal immunity. An individual who is infected with tuberculosis and seronegative has one chance out of ten of developing active tuberculosis later on in life. However, a person who is infected with tuberculosis and seropositive has one chance out of ten of developing tuberculosis each year. TB is the prime reason why patients with HIV-AIDS fall ill. In countries where tuberculosis is highly endemic, it kills 50% of AIDS patients.