The "cousin" of tuberculosis is often referred to as Mycobacterium avium, a type of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM).
While tuberculosis (TB) is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, NTM infections, like those caused by Mycobacterium avium, belong to the same genus but are distinct species. These NTM infections can produce symptoms similar to TB, including:
- Cough
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
However, it's crucial to distinguish between TB and NTM infections because the treatment approaches differ significantly. There are over 25 different species of mycobacteria which can cause nontuberculous mycobacterial infections. Mycobacterium avium is one of the most common.
