Not really. In the early 20th century (and probably before that), New Orleans was a TB nightmare. You could actually get it by walking barefooted through a place where someone with TB had spit—yeah, I know, who walks in New Orleans barefooted, but some did—and this was one of the reasons (or so I was told) that laws were passed about spitting on the street.
I’m not in the medical profession, so perhaps someone can correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think these are technically bacteria—I think they called them “spores” and all they needed to grow was (like mold) warmth and moisture.
Personally, if I had been on one of those planes with all the recycled air and all, I’d get a test no matter what row I was in.
Extensively Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis (XDR TB) Posted: April 2007
From the link:
TB is not spread by shaking someone’s hand sharing food or drink touching bed linens or toilet seats sharing toothbrushes kissing smoking or sharing cigarettes
Any (repeat any) way this organism can reach a respiratory tract is transmission.
If one were to step into TB-laden spit and unknowingly transfer it to the mouth and respiratory tract....BINGO....transmission!
Many asian countries have laws about spitting....TB is the reason.
The organism does not care one whit how it gets from one respiratory tract/set of lungs to the next.
Cold and honest fact is that this organism does it the same ways that others do......