TUBERCULOSIS

               TUBERCULOSIS 

Tuberculosis (TB), also known as Great white Plague  is  one of the deadliest disease of the lungs. It is an Infectious disease caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria (MTB). Tuberculosis not only affects the lungs but other parts of the body. Pulmonary tuberculosis only affects the lungs. Extrapulmonary tuberculosis do not affect the lungs but other body parts. Extrapulmonary tuberculosis mostly occurs in young children and people with weaker immune system.

   Tuberculosis is hard to detect since most tuberculosis don't show symptoms until later stages. This type of tuberculosis is called Latent Tuberculosis. People with latent Tuberculosis do not spread the disease. Tuberculosis is spread from an infected person (with active TB in their lungs) to an healthy person through the air when they cough, speak or sneeze.  

      

      SYMPTOMS OF TUBERCULOSIS.

The known Symptoms of Tuberculosis are : 

1. CRONIC COUGH 

2. FEVER 

3. LOSS OF APPETITE

4. FATIGUE

5. WEIGHT LOSS

6. NIGHT SWEATS 

7. CHEST PAIN (Mostly pulmonary TB)

 

    CAUSES OF TUBERCULOSIS

Tuberculosis is caused by a small, nonmotile bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). MTB is an areobic bacteria (depends on air for respiration). They multiply every 16 to 20 hours. MTB can withstand weak disinfectant and survive in dry state for weeks (most bacteria can't withstand dryness for long period). 

MTB can be cultured in the laboratory (Bacterium can only grow within the cells of an host).

     Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) Consist four other Tuberculosis causing mycobacteria which are:

Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium africanum , Mycobacterium microti and Mycobacterium canetti. 

    Just as the name says, Mycobacterium africanum is a notable cause of tuberculosis in parts of Africa. A once common cause of tuberculosis was Mycobacterium bovis which is almost completely eliminated due to the Introduction of Pasteurized milk. M.microti and M.canetti are rare.

  

TRANSMISSION OF TUBERCULOSIS

      TB can only be transmitted from an infected person (with the active TB) to a healthy person. When an infected person sneeze, spit, cough or speak , infectious aerosol droplets are expelled numbering up to 35000-40000 droplets. Each one of the droplets may transmit the disease. 

  

       RISK FACTORS 

Risk factors are things that Increases the chances of one getting a disease. The risk factors of Tuberculosis are : 

1. Prolonged or close contact with infected people (those with active TB)

2. HIV : People infected with HIV have a higher chance of getting TB. This is common in the sub-Saharan Africa due to the fact that their HIV infection rates are high.

3. Use of medications such as Corticosteroids

4. Tobacco smoking.

5. Malnutrition.

6. Severe Kidney diseases.

7. Silicosis.

8. Alcoholism 

9. Inherited genetic defect.  

        PREVENTION 

Tuberculosis can be prevented by :

1.  Vaccination of Infants : BCG {BACILLUS CALMETTE- GUÉRIN} was the only available vaccine as at 2011. BCG is the most used vaccine worldwide. It decreases the risk of children getting the Infection by 20%. 

2. Early detection and appropriate treatment :  

   

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