The primary cause of tuberculosis is the mycobacterium tuberculosis.

This is primarily a bacillus which is aerobic and contains quite a high degree of lipids in it. This bacterium causes the disease of tuberculosis in human beings.

The bacterium has a tendency of dividing itself into many parts and concentrating on the human body causing intense harm that is manifested in the form of tuberculosis. Usually this kind of bacterium has the habit of living it out in extremely dry conditions and that is why they can live on inside the human body and cause extensive damage.

Patients who suffer from tuberculosis are asked to refrain from certain practices and make sure that some precautionary steps can be followed. This can to a certain extent check the spread of tuberculosis causing bacterium. Very importantly since the bacterium tends to be airborne, it is necessary to avoid unhygienic eating or drinking habits. Usually people avoid eating out in places which are not very well maintained and this can be somewhat of a precautionary check on causes that can cause the deadly disease of tuberculosis. However these precautionary steps do not necessarily ensure complete eradication of the disease. They are just steps that can be followed by people who have been affected more than once.

Other types of tuberculosis causing bacterium include M.africanum, M.microtti and M.canetti. They are considerably rarer and often cause tuberculosis in human beings. Treatment can be quite long drawn out and hence relatively more difficult. Avoiding certain conditions might ensure that a person will not be exposed to any type of tuberculosis causing disease. However this cannot be ensured. It also depends greatly on the immunity system of the individual. Some people are often more susceptible to diseases and this needs to be well checked out. As a result best treatment procedures can be ensured.

A world TB day is also celebrated so that people do remember the importance of this disease.