Water-pipe Smoking as a Risk Factor for Transmitting .

Unlabelled: A 20-year-old Swiss male presented at the emergency department with acute onset of febrile temperatures and hemoptysis and a 3-month history of productive cough. An X-ray and CT scan of the chest, sputum samples for acid-fast bacilli, polymerase chain reaction(PCR), and cultures for Mycobacteria revealed pulmonary infection with . None of the classical risk factors for tuberculosis were present, but the patient reported regularly smoking a water pipe. Water-pipe smoking poses a serious risk of transmission.

Learning Points: This case report illustrates an unusual risk factor for tuberculosis: water-pipe smoking.With the higher social acceptance of water-pipe smoking, physicians must be aware of the associated complications.