What are some differences between acute bacterial pneumonia and tuberculosis?

Different infections: Acute bacterial pneumonia is a general term for any lung infection that is caused by inhalation of bacteria that are prevalent in the community or your immediate surroundings. Tuberculosis is also an infection initially involving the lungs (& later spreading to other body parts in some) that is caused by a specific bacterium called mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tb requires much longer treatment.

See below: Pneumonia causes cough, fever, sometimes shortness of breath and chest pains. Rales are heard on auscultation of the lungs and an infiltrate is seen on chest x-ray. Tb is a more chronic illness characterized by cough, night sweats, weight loss, a positive PPD skin test or gamma interferon release test with apical infiltrates on cxr.Sputum smears and cultures are + afb/tb.Tb can cause pneumonia too.